No Way Back
by Cordee
Summary: He was a brooding athlete who felt adrift; she was a cheery girl who was in love with life. The day they met, everything changed. Brooke/Lucas AU
1. I Remember You

**This is an idea I've been toying around with for awhile. What would have happened if Brooke had come from a large, loving family? What if Karen had allowed Dan to be a part of Lucas' life as he grew up? Would they still be the same people? Alternate universe; relationships will become apparent as the story progresses. Let me know what you think!**

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**Chapter 1 - I Remember You**

_"Woke up to the sound of pouring rain. It washed away a dream of you. But nothing else could ever take you away, 'cause you'll always be my dream come true..." - Skid Row_

_Don't stop, make it pop; DJ, blow my speakers up. Tonight I'm gonna fight 'til I see the sunlight. Tik tok on the clock, but the party don't stop –_

Brooke Davis groaned and hit the snooze button on her clock radio. It was 5:15 in the morning - still much too early. She rolled over and curled up under her wine-coloured comforter, thinking back to the last time she heard that song. She'd been dancing on a beach under a starry night sky...that's when she met him. The incredibly hot guy she ended up making out with. At least she thought he was hot; she was pretty wasted by that point. But she did remember his eyes...amazing ocean blue eyes which seemed to pierce her soul. And he was amazing kisser. Brooke sighed and closed her eyes, smiling at the memory.

* * *

_3 Months Ago_

_The thumping bass pounded in Brooke's ears as she kicked off her flip-flops and danced in the sand, surrounded by a bunch of drunken sweaty strangers. Her friends had gradually drifted off over the last few hours. Nathan and Rachel were bedding their respective conquests, Jake left a couple hours ago since he had to work early the next day and Haley had wandered off to find an old friend of hers she was supposed to meet up with. Brooke didn't mind being alone right now. She loved the beach and she loved dancing. That was all she needed for the perfect summer kick-off. After finishing up her freshman year at Duke, she deserved to let loose. The next three months, all she had to worry about was finding the hottest parties and getting a tan. _

_She sighed contentedly and looked up at the sky. Was it her imagination, or did the sky suddenly seem much lighter? Brooke wracked her brain trying to remember if she'd called home. Even though she was nineteen-years-old and technically an adult, her parents still expected her to check in if she was going to be out late. "Nothing good ever happens after two a.m.," was one of her father's favourite sayings. Brooke begged to differ; some of the best times in her life had occurred after two a.m. Slumber parties, playing 'I Never', skinny dipping, the first time she had sex – all of those things happened after two a.m. and they were pretty great._

_She was lost in this train of thought when she spun around and collided with a guy. She stepped backwards and looked up at him. The first thing she noticed was his clothes; she always noticed everyone's clothes. He wore a tight black t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans. He was tall – at least 6"2. Brooke couldn't help gaping at him: he had an amazing body. But what really caught her attention were his eyes. They were the deepest, bluest eyes she had ever seen in her life. She could so drown in those eyes..._

"_Sorry about that." She apologized, smiling up at him._

"_Don't worry about it." He returned her smile and caught her by the waist, as she stumbled, nearly falling over on her ass. "Careful – are you okay?"_

_Brooke could feel a hot flush sweeping across her cheeks. "Let's just say I'm feeling no pain," she replied, with a laugh. Suddenly, she realized that his hands were still on her waist and they were standing very closely together. Normally, if a strange guy put his hands on her, she had no problem giving him a hard slap across the face. But this guy...he was different. She liked being in his arms; she felt safe with him. It just felt right. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through her veins or maybe it was those gorgeous eyes; but Brooke Davis was about to do something reckless and she didn't really care._

_She slid her hands up his chest, biting her lips as she felt his rock-hard pecs beneath his shirt. He looked down at her questioningly, with the hint of an amused smile on his face. She stared at his lips for a second before returning her gaze to his eyes. They glimmered with interest and desire...but she could see another emotion beneath the surface. Maybe sadness? All she knew was that she wanted to make it go away. Before she lost her nerve, she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his hard on the lips. He didn't seem to mind; in fact, it was almost like he expected her to kiss him. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She ran her fingers through his hair and gently bit his lower lip. She smiled slightly as he grunted and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Brooke forgot about everything – the party, the music, her friends, the approaching daylight. She lost herself in that kiss; she lost herself in him._

_Finally – it could have been minutes, it could have been hours; time had lost all meaning to Brooke – he broke away from the kiss. Still, he held her closely; as if he worried she would slip away. They stared at each other in the early morning light. He smiled almost shyly and touched his swollen lips._

"_Where did you learn to kiss like that?" he asked, his eyes twinkling._

_Brooke just shrugged and tilted her head. "Maybe we should find somewhere private to get to know each other better?" she whispered in his ear._

_His smile widened and he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as he looked her up and down. "Meet me in the boathouse. I just need to run back inside – to grab us something to drink."_

_Brooke hesitated for a moment. She heard her father's voice echoing in her head: "Nothing good ever happens after two a.m." She looked up into those blue eyes and she was a goner. Her uncertainty melted away and she nodded, biting her lower lip. "Don't keep me waiting."_

"_You won't even notice I'm gone, Pretty Girl." He grinned at her before turning away and jogging back towards the house._

_Brooke's heart was pounding as she watched him climb the stairs to the back deck. He paused and she could see him looking at her. She felt a grin spread across her own face as he disappeared inside the house. She bent down to pick up her flip-flops and nearly fell over when she heard someone call her name._

"_Brooke, there you are!" She turned to see her friend, Haley James, approaching. "I've been looking all over; it's almost five in the morning, Tigger. We've got to go."_

_Brooke groaned and stamped her foot. "Hales, don't be so mean! I just met a gorgeous guy and he is an amazing kisser."_

_Haley crossed her arms and stared at Brooke disapprovingly. "What's his name?"_

"_Uh...I don't know," Brooke admitted. "We haven't exactly been chitchatting, if you know what I mean." She giggled._

"_You're wasted, Brooke. It's a good thing I found you before you did something stupid." Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed Brooke's hand. "Besides, Ma and Pa Davis aren't going to be too impressed that their precious princess spent her first night home from school partying until the crack of dawn."_

_Brooke sighed and relented. "Fine, let's go," she grumbled, as she followed Haley up the path to the road. She cast one glance backwards at the Scott beach house, before turning away with another sigh. It was probably for the best – the booze was wearing off._

"_It's okay, Tigger. Nate'll be throwing tons of parties this summer. Maybe you'll find your mystery man at the next one." Haley reassured her._

_Brooke smiled at her friend."You're right – I've got all summer to find him again."_

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Except, she never did see the boy with the brooding blue eyes again. Even though Nathan threw many parties that summer, she never did attend another one. She thought of him nearly every day; the boy on the beach was a reminder of what her life used to be, how she used to be. Whenever things got depressing, she would think of him and remember how alive he made her feel, even if it was only for a little while. How she was on the brink of giving him everything she had; heart, mind, body, soul.

But that couldn't happen now, not with him, not with anyone, not ever. That morning was the best and worst morning of her life. That morning, everything changed.

Brooke squeezed her eyes shut against the tears threatening to spill over. This happened every morning when she woke up and realized the last three months weren't a horrible dream. It was reality; her new reality.

She choked back a sob, remembering the girl she used to be: a fun, joyful, spontaneous cheerleader who sought excitement and generated positive energy wherever she went. But that girl was long gone – summer was now over and the girl she used to be had faded away.

She swallowed her tears and fought to regain control of her emotions. She needed to be strong; for them. They depended on her so much – they drew their strength from her. 'It just isn't fair,' Brooke thought. Then again, since when had life ever been fair?


	2. Can't Cry Anymore

**Hi everyone! Wow, I was really surprised to see the response to the first chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews and adding this your alerts/ favourites. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it - hopefully, I can keep it up! This chapter is Brooke-centric. We get to meet the rest of her family and learn a little more about the Davis clan. This will explain a little more about why she feels she's not the same girl she used to be and forms part of the foundation of her future relationship with a certain broody guy. It was originally going to be part of the first chapter, but I felt it worked better as a stand-alone. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill.**

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**Chapter 2 - Can't Cry Anymore**

_"It's never ending, it could be worse. I could've missed my calling, sometimes it hurts, when you read the writing on the wall...Can't cry anymore. Too much time I've been spending with my heart in my hands. Waiting for time to come and mend it...I can't cry anymore." - Sheryl Crow_

Brooke was still curled up in bed, trying desperately not to burst into tears when she heard a quiet knock at the door. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and threw back her covers. She refused to be seen crying in front of anyone, no matter what. She'd always been that way, but she was even more determined to maintain her aura of strength, now. "Come in," she said, as she stretched her arms over her head.

Brooke smiled as her youngest sister, Tessa, came in to the room and climbed up on the bed next to her. The eleven-year old was still in her PJ's and she was clutching her teddy bear. She sighed sadly and looked up at Brooke.

"Can I have a hug?" she asked.

"Of course, baby. You don't even need to ask." Brooke pulled Tessa into her arms and stroked her shoulder-length brown hair. "So, today's the big day. Aren't you excited? Your first day of middle school, starting the sixth grade, new teachers, new classes...getting to wear the new outfits I made for you..."

Tessa shrugged. "Yeah, I'm excited. I just miss them," she whispered in a soft voice. "They should be here."

Brooke kissed the top of her sister's head. "Yeah, they should be here," she replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Brooke could feel her despair making its way to the surface once again, so she quickly forced her lips back into a smile. Her parents may no longer be here, but she was. She needed to hold it together for them. Especially today.

"Hey, how would you feel about a bit of girl time with me and Haley this morning? We don't have class until 10 and the others are going to be out of here early. We can take you to school...that is, if you're not too embarrassed to be seen with us." Brooke watched as Tessa's eyes lit up.

"As if I would ever be embarrassed by you, Brookie." Tessa jumped up from the bed, beaming with happiness. "I'm going to get dressed. Sam and I picked up an awesome shirt at the mall. I think I'll wear it with that skirt you made. But, shoes...that might be a problem. I don't know if I want to go casual with some Sketchers, or dressier with ballet flats." Tessa practically danced across the room towards the door. "I might try a bunch of different options. But you have to give me your honest opinion. I don't want to look like a total outcast."

Brooke couldn't help laughing, as she watched her sister bounce out of the room. She and Tessa were so much alike; cheerful, determined, clothes-obsessed. The rest of the family referred to her as Brooke's "mini-me." Tessa was resilient; she had a natural optimism that would help her bounce back. The others...well, they were different.

She glanced at the clock. It was already 5:45. She'd spent too much time daydreaming this morning. Brooke longed to jump into the shower, but she had to make sure everyone else was up. She reluctantly got out of bed and stepped into the hallway, nearly tripping over Sam's skateboard.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, before clapping a hand over her mouth. She was right outside Tessa's door and the kid had been acting as the bad language police in the Davis household the last few weeks.

"Brookie, I heard that!" Tessa's voice sang out from behind her bedroom door. Brooke chuckled; the kid did have amazing hearing.

She crossed the hallway to her brother's room and banged on the door. "Jeremy, it's 5:45. Time to get up."

Brooke heard a groan. "Five more minutes, B."

"No way. Up and at 'em. You have to be out of here in an hour and a half and glaciers move faster than you do in the morning. Besides, you're driving Sam and Kate and they can't be late for freshman orientation." Brooke opened the door and wrinkled her nose. Teenage boys were so gross. Dirty clothes, papers and books were strewn across the floor. Brooke made a face, seeing some pictures of half-naked women plastered to his walls. Jeremy had his covers pulled up over his head, ignoring the blaring radio beside his head. She gingerly picked her way across the room, trying not to touch anything disgusting. Finally, she reached the window and pulled open the heavy drapes, flooding the room with sunlight. The lump on the bed moaned and turned away from the light.

"Come on, you're missing the best part of the day, little bro! You should be excited –today is the first day of your last year of high school!" Brooke exclaimed cheerfully as she turned off the radio and jumped on the bed, kneeling beside her brother's prone form. "Just think, you're a senior at Tree Hill High, captain of the basketball team, popular with the ladies – or so I heard...so, get your ass out of bed!" Brooke leaned over and pulled back the covers.

"Damn it, B.!" Jeremy shouted as he tried to snatch his covers back.

Brooke screamed and jumped off the bed, realizing her baby brother was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs. "Ew, ew, ew! Why aren't you wearing pyjamas?"

"I don't like them. I get overheated." Jeremy pouted, pulling on a pair of basketball shorts that were lying on the floor beside the bed. "Besides, you shouldn't be running into people's rooms and ripping their covers off. What if I'd been naked?"

Brooke covered her ears. "Oh my god, stop talking! Just get ready. Oh, and you might want to think about cleaning up this mess. If you ever found a girl crazy enough to come up here with you, she'd run away screaming from this hellhole."

Jeremy smirked briefly, flashing his dimples. "Spoken like a responsible guardian," he shot back, sarcastically.

Brooke froze and dropped her gaze to the floor, before Jeremy could see the hurt expression in her eyes.

"B., I'm sorry...I know you do the best you can," Jeremy sighed apologetically.

Brooke blinked and plastered a smile across her face. "What are you apologizing for? You're a moody teenager; you're supposed to be a jerk. Believe me, I can handle it."

Jeremy allowed a small smile and pulled his older sister into a hug. Brooke couldn't help noticing how tall he'd gotten over the summer. "You're taller than Dad, now," she said, quietly.

He pulled away, and ran his fingers through his tangled chocolate curls. Brooke knew he hated his curly hair; he usually got it shaved down to a buzz cut. But, he'd let it grow out over the summer – because girls loved it.

"Hey," she grabbed his hand and looked into his green eyes. "We're getting through today. I promise."

Jeremy squeezed her hand and offered a ghost of a smile. "I'm gonna hit the shower."

"Good; you smell." Brooke squeezed his hand in return and hid a giggle as she caught him surreptitiously sniffing his underarms as she left the room.

'_Two down, two more to go_,' Brooke thought as she picked up Sam's skateboard and made her way down the hallway to the next stop on her magical wake-up tour. She knocked on the door to Sam and Kate's room. The fourteen-year-old twins shared a room. Today was their first day of high school. So many milestones today...and her parents were missing all of them.

When there was no response, Brooke pushed open the door and peered inside. She smiled as she saw Kate sitting at her desk, already fully dressed. She was furiously writing in a notebook and listening to her iPod. Brooke glanced over towards Sam's side of the room; still fast asleep, of course.

Kate was a little different from the rest of the Davis family. She was the only one to inherit their grandmother's strawberry blonde hair – hair that Brooke would have killed for – while everyone else made do with boring brown hair. Where the others were confident and outgoing, Kate was shy and extremely introverted; almost like she lived in a world of her own. Kate's existence revolved around her family and the stories she wrote in her notebooks...and the peacefulness of that existence had been shattered by the loss of their parents. All of them, even Tessa, tried to shield Kate as much as possible from the harshness of the outside world.

Brooke glanced around the twins' room, lost in thought. Kate's side of the room was light and airy, almost beachy. She had white wicker furniture, a canopy bed, a window seat piled high with cushions and stuffed animals. The decor suggested that this was a place to dream, to imagine, to retreat. But Sam's side...well, it was different. Their mother had refused to let Sam paint her side of the room black, so she opted to plaster over the offending floral wallpaper with...stuff. Posters, photographs, drawings, scraps of paper, ticket stubs...almost anything that could possibly be stuck on a wall could be found on Sam's side of the room. Sam had also hung a black velvet curtain from the ceiling to partition the room, because Kate was always up writing ridiculously early and opening the curtains to allow sunlight to stream in and Sam just wanted to sleep in undisturbed darkness.

Brooke walked over and gently touched Kate on the shoulder. She looked up, smiling softly at Brooke as she closed her notebook and removed her headphones. "Good morning, Brookie," she said, softly and she stood up, giving Brooke a hug.

"So, you're all ready to face the day." Brooke raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"I've been up since four," Kate shrugged. "I couldn't sleep...but I made the chocolate chip pancake batter. I should probably get down there and start making breakfast. Everyone's going to be hungry...and I need to make sure everything's perfect. I don't want to mess up the tradition."

Brooke frowned, slightly. Kate sounded cheerful, but she looked pale and restless. Brooke could sense the anxiety emanating from her. "Katie, are you okay?" She realized how stupid those words sounded as soon as she said them.

Kate's green eyes – so like Jeremy's...so like their dad's – filled with tears and she turned away. "No, Brooke, I'm not okay. I don't think I'll ever be okay again. Truthfully, I wish it had been me." She said very softly.

Brooke felt something drop deep inside of her – another small piece of her heart breaking away and shattering at the hopelessness in Kate's voice. "Katie, honey, don't say that."

Kate turned back to her sister and offered a wavering smile. "I'll go make breakfast, now. I didn't mean it, Brooke. I'm just nervous about school and stuff. And breakfast. I don't want to mess up. It's my first time making these without Dad. I've got to go." Kate's voice caught and she threw an anguished glance at Brooke as she left the room.

Brooke stood there, considering what Kate had said. Alarm bells were going off in her head. But, maybe it was normal...this was a hard day for her, for all of them. She would let it go, for now and bring it up at the next family counselling session. She remembered the chocolate chip pancakes – her dad made them every year on the first day of school...and every Sunday morning. They hadn't eaten them since before the accident. No wonder Kate was stressed about making them perfect.

"It just isn't fair," Brooke whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as she shivered slightly.

"Life isn't fair."

Brooke jumped, looking wildly around the room before noticing Sam sitting up in her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I thought you were still sleeping." Brooke crossed the room and sat down at the edge of Sam's bed. Only then, did she notice that Sam's eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Oh, sweetie..."

Sam waved off her concern and drew her knees up to her chest. "It's just going to be a shitty day all around, Brooke. I mean, Mom's supposed to be the one booting us all out of bed. Dad should be downstairs making the pancakes. You should be sleeping off a hang-over in your dorm room at Duke. Katie should be asleep dreaming about rainbows and unicorns or whatever; not getting up in the middle of the night to work on perfecting pancake recipes." Sam pounded her fist against her mattress. "This isn't right."

"I know, Sam, I know. I feel the same way," Brooke sighed. She glanced at Sam's clock radio – 6:15 am and she was already exhausted.

Samantha leaned back against the headboard. "Remember the goofy pictures Mom used to take of us for the first day of school? She was so sad you were living on campus last year...so she made you email a picture of yourself and Jeremy photoshopped you into the picture we took here."

Brooke nodded. "She hated my dress, though – too short. She tried to have Jeremy alter the photo to make it look like I was wearing a floor-length skirt." Brooke smiled. God, she missed having a mom who cared about what she wore...

Sam laughed and threw back her covers. "Enough with the blast from the past. I need to find something to wear."

Brooke nodded and got to her feet, knowing that Sam wanted to be alone. "I'm going to have a shower and get ready, myself. Oh, Jeremy's driving you and Katie today. Haley and I will drop Tessa off at school on our way to class."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I know – you told us last night. Oh, hey – I forgot to ask before. Is it okay if Peyton stays over this weekend? Her parents are going on another trip and she doesn't want to be left alone again."

Brooke smiled. Peyton Scott was her friend Nathan's younger sister and was in the same grade as Sam and Kate. They had become fast friends over the last year and Peyton had been a great support for the twins over the last three months. "That's fine with me. I'm guessing Nathan will be staying on campus hitting all the parties. What about the other brother – Lucas?"

"Ha. He parties just as much as Nathan. Peyton told me he actually flunked out of NYU and her dad was beyond pissed. She thought he was going to have an aneurysm." Sam was rifling through her closet. "He' s cute, but Peyton says he's a man-whore."

Brooke grimaced. "Fantastic. Yeah, let Peyton know it's okay. And Sam...can you keep a close eye on Katie today? I'm worried about her. I'm sure you heard what she said, earlier?"

"I always keep a close eye on her, Brooke." Sam nodded, flipping on her stereo.

Brooke took that as her signal to leave the room. She closed the door behind her as Sam started blasting The Clash. She was into the late 70s/ early 80s punk scene this week.

Brooke sighed and stood in the hallway, staring at another door at the end of the hall, just a few feet away from the twins' bedroom. Her parents' room. No one had entered that room since Brooke had gone in to select their burial outfits three days after they died. What struck her the most was seeing all of their personal objects lying around, just waiting to be picked up again. Like her mother's slippers peeking out from under the bed; or the novel her father had left on his bedside table, a bookmark saving the page where he'd left off. It almost seemed as if Richard and Victoria had gone on vacation, leaving Brooke in charge... and when they came back, everything would be just as they left it. Except that wasn't true. It was too much to deal with. Even thinking about it now, she was starting to feel panicky as the reality sunk in – her parents weren't coming back.

As she did nearly every morning, Brooke raced to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Her tears were already falling fast and furious as she turned on the shower in her ensuite bathroom, and stripped off her tank top and old cheer shorts. She jumped in the shower, the hot water beating down on her as the sobs tore from her chest. She always cried in the shower. This way, no one could see her or hear her. She could maintain her strong facade for the others. She had no choice. If they knew how broken she was, they would lose hope...and that and her strength was all Brooke had to give.


	3. Clampdown

**Hi! Just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and alerts. You guys are really awesome. This chapter focuses on Lucas' family life and what he's been thinking about the last few months. I really wanted to set up Luke's internal conflict in having two parents who were so different from each other and kind of give a bit of a background as to why he's the way he is. Don't worry the worlds of Lucas and Brooke will soon collide...I just want to make sure the groundwork is set before I get into the juicy stuff. Let me know what you think! Oh yah, don't own OTH or 'Tik Tok' (although they are both guilty pleasures of mine!)**

**Chapter 3 – Clampdown**

"_Wake up in the morning, feeling like -"_

Lucas Scott reached over and slapped the snooze button on his alarm clock. He really hated that song because it represented everything that was wrong with popular music, but it remained a guilty pleasure of his. He'd rather die than admit to downloading the song from iTunes and listening to it whenever he wanted to smile. It reminded him of a gorgeous brunette with dazzling hazel eyes he met on the beach three months ago while that very song was playing. A pretty girl who occupied his thoughts more often than he would care to admit; and he didn't even know her name. In his mind, she was 'his pretty girl', even though he had no claim to her. He hadn't told anyone about his encounter with her – not his brother Nathan, not even his best friend, Haley. Reluctantly, Lucas sat up and pushed any thoughts of her aside. There was no use in chasing a dream; especially one that could never be real.

He squinted at the display and cursed under his breath when he saw the display. 9:15 a.m. His first class started in 45 minutes. He sat up and threw off his covers. His head was pounding and he groaned; he definitely overdid it last night. So much for his vow to cut down on the partying. He let out a harsh laugh. He hadn't even lasted one day. He climbed out of bed and grabbed the pair of boxers he discarded on the floor the night before.

He rubbed his eyes and stretched, finally noticing the girl lying in his bed. Lucas frowned. He had no recollection of meeting her, never mind having sex with her. He sighed; he was not in the mood to deal with some random chick he didn't even remember. He just wanted her gone.

As if she could sense his gaze, the girl stirred and opened her eyes. "Hey, Handsome," she smiled.

Lucas silently appraised her. She had brown hair and brown eyes and a nice enough smile; but she couldn't compete with his pretty girl from the beach. He gave himself a mental shake. Why the hell couldn't he get her out of his head?

The girl looked up at him, uncertainly. "Lucas, are you okay?"

He had to make a decision. On the one hand, he felt he should be nice to the girl he found in his bed. Let her down easy; let her leave with her dignity intact. On the other hand, he really didn't give a shit. He was hung-over and in a foul mood. It was always like this when Lucas faced a difficult decision. He found himself caught between acting like the person his mother thought he should be and acting like the person his father taught him he was entitled to be. More often than not, he followed Dan Scott's example; not because he thought it was the best thing to do, but because it was just easier.

Today was one of those days.

Lucas hardened his expression and slipped on the arrogant mask he often wore. "Look, last night was fun. I was drunk, you were there; it was – whatever." Lucas steeled himself against the tears he could see glimmering in her eyes. "I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not going to call you. I don't want to be your boyfriend. I think it would be for the best if you just left. You know, so things don't get more awkward than they already are."

The girl wiped at her eyes and glared at him as she pulled his sheet tightly around herself and gathered her clothing up from the floor. "You're an ass." She hissed at him while struggling to pull on her jeans and still keep her breasts covered with the sheet.

Lucas shrugged. He'd heard that insult hurled at him more times than he could count. "You didn't seem to care last night."

The girl pulled her shirt over her head and stared at him furiously, for a second. "Fuck you."

"You already did…or at least I think you did. It wasn't all that memorable for me, babe." Lucas grinned as she stormed out of the room. His grin faded as the front door slammed.

"Whoa, who was that stomping down the walk of shame?" His half-brother, Nathan stood in the doorway to Lucas' room.

"I don't know, some chick." Lucas rubbed the back of neck. "What are you doing up?"

"I have class at ten." Nathan grinned. "Human Sexuality."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Like you don't already know enough about sex. How the hell did you get enrolled in that?"

Nathan shrugged. "Dan registered me for a bunch of classes he thought would be appropriate and I just went on-line and changed them all a couple of weeks ago. I wanted subjects I could breeze my way through. Plus, it also helped to have a friend at the Registrar's Office lend a hand when the courses I wanted were full."

Lucas pushed past Nathan and went into the bathroom. He popped a couple of Advils and brushed his teeth while Nathan went on and on about what an easy year he was going to have. Lucas realized he hadn't even checked his schedule yet. He remembered selecting a few Lit. courses and a creative writing class. He was actually looking forward to those. As for the rest of it, he could care less.

"A bunch of us are meeting for lunch. Want to join us?"

Lucas nodded. "Sure. Text me and let me know where. I'll see if Haley can make it."

Nathan laughed. "Hales always joins us at lunch. She's kind of friends with Rach, now."

Lucas' eyes widened. "Haley is friends with Rachel Gatina? Has hell frozen over?"

"Nah, she's best buds with Rach's ex-roommate, Brooke. Oh, shit. You've never even met Brooke, yet!" Nathan shook his head. "I keep forgetting you weren't here last year." Nathan's expression grew serious. "I'm glad you're back, Luke. Even though I know you don't really want to be here. Things weren't great for me last year." Nathan was silent for a few seconds. "I really envy Peyton sometimes. He just ignores her. I wish he'd ignore me once in awhile." Nathan continued, in a low voice.

Lucas turned and gazed at his brother. They relied on each other to cope with the reality of being sons of Dan Scott. It was easier to deal with it when Dan's focus was split between the two of them. It hadn't occurred to Lucas before what misery Nathan must have been going through while he was in New York. "I'm sorry, Nate."

Nathan sighed and punched him on the arm. "It's okay, Luke. Hell, if I had a mom that could stand up to Dan, I would have gotten the hell away, too. Anyway, class starts in twenty. I'm out."

"See you at lunch." Luke went back into his room and pulled on a t-shirt and jeans. He stuffed his laptop in his backpack and found his class schedule. As he left the dorm in search of coffee, he thought about what Nathan had said – that he was lucky to have a mother who would stand up to Dan Scott. Deb Scott, Nathan and Peyton's mother and Lucas' step-mother, rarely took a stand against Dan. She tried her best to maintain the illusion of the perfect family. And that meant going along with Dan's wishes and whims just to keep the peace.

As he stepped into the September sunshine, Lucas wondered how his parents had ever gotten together long enough for his mom to get knocked up. Karen Roe and Dan Scott were polar opposites. The only trait they shared was an incredible stubborn streak. They would each fight to the death for what they wanted. Unfortunately for Lucas, they fought over him constantly.

From the age of four, Lucas split his time equally between his parents. One week with Karen; the next with Dan, Deb, Nathan and Peyton. One week with a parent who made sure he did his homework, ate proper meals and did his chores; the next with a parent who let him run wild as long as he stuck with his training schedule and won basketball games. Karen wanted Lucas to study and get good grades; Dan was satisfied if Lucas' grades were good enough to keep him from getting dropped from the team. Karen thought Lucas should get a part-time job to learn the value of fiscal responsibility; Dan felt a job would interfere with basketball and gave Lucas money whenever he asked for it. Karen grounded Lucas for coming home drunk when he was sixteen; Dan bought a beach house for Lucas and Nathan to use for parties and turned a blind eye to their recreational activities.

It was a difficult arrangement, but Lucas had lived with it so long, he was used to it. He'd never known anything different. Eventually, the time came when Lucas realized that having Dan Scott in his life caused more harm than good. Ironically, it was on the same day he encountered his pretty girl on the beach...at the party Nathan threw celebrating his return from New York.

* * *

_3 Months Ago_

"_Lucas, get up. It's 8 a.m." Dan Scott opened the curtains and Lucas blinked at the bright sunlight burning his eyes. "I'm taking you and your brother out for a run. You boys have been slacking off. Damned if I'm going to have you both embarrassing me next season."_

_Lucas scowled at his father. "What are you talking about, Dan? I just got back yesterday."_

_Dan smirked at his oldest son. "And why were you forced to come back so early? That's right; you were too busy boozing and whoring around to keep up your grades so you got your ass booted from one of the finest universities in the country." He shook his head. "I knew I shouldn't have let Karen talk me into allowing you go to NYU. My first instinct was to keep you nearby where I can keep a close eye on you, like I did with Nathan. And if your mother thinks I'm going to allow her to ship you off to Keith's for the summer, she's got another thing coming. Past events have shown you can't be trusted to act like the adult you claim to be, so I'm back to riding your ass. Every single day."_

_Lucas clenched his jaw and stared up at the ceiling._

"_You know what's most disappointing? You have a god-given talent and you were willing to toss it away without a second thought. You had your chance to prove yourself and you blew it, boozy." Dan sneered. "And judging by the condition of this house, you and your brother still haven't learned a thing. Nathan, I expect this shit from. But, you – you're supposed to be the smart one. Although, in nineteen years, I've yet to see any evidence of your superior intelligence." Dan paused at the door to Lucas' room. "Get your ass out of bed and be downstairs in ten minutes. I'm going to kick doofus number two out of bed, now. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such idiot sons." He left the room._

_Lucas sat up and clenched his fists, his heart hammering in his ears. He was so used to hearing this shit from Dan; most of the time, he could just block it out. Unfortunately, this time, Dan was right. He had fucked up, royally. Just a year ago, he thought he'd finally be able to move out from underneath Dan's thumb. Now, he was effectively trapped because of his own stupidity. Lucas hated himself right now. _

_He sighed, knowing he wouldn't get a chance to meet up with Haley, like they planned. Dan's workouts tended to last two or three hours; but since he was so pissed with his sons, Lucas expected the ordeal to take up most of the day. He picked up his cell and texted a quick apology and explanation to her. To his surprise, Haley responded seconds later; something had come up and she wasn't able to meet anyway. He frowned, wondering if something was wrong – she didn't have a sadistic father to kick her out of bed on a Sunday morning force her on an eight mile run. He made a mental note to call her later._

_Lucas threw on a pair of shorts and an old Ravens t-shirt – his high school basketball team. That was back when he somewhat still enjoyed the sport. Now, he hated it with a passion. In fact, he even told Dan he never wanted to play basketball again the night they won the state championship in his senior year. That's why he wanted to go to New York; away from his father, away from Tree Hill, away from basketball. _

_He jogged downstairs, groaning when he saw the mess left behind from the party. The beach house was completely trashed. No wonder Dan was pissed. Sure, he'd originally bought the house so Nathan and Lucas could hang out with their friends without bothering him, but even this was excessive. Lucas briefly wondered if some of the neighbors had complained. Anyway, the house was in worse condition than usual. It would take hours for him and Nathan to clean everything up. _

_Lucas went into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and walked out on to the back deck. He stared out at the ocean as he stretched; listening as Nathan and Dan shouted at each other. Great. Nathan was probably still drunk from the night before. The only time he stood up to Dan was when he was drunk or high. Lucas put in his earphones and started listening to some music to block out their raised voices. His mind drifted as he warmed up, and he thought of the girl with the sparkling eyes he made out with on the beach just a few hours ago. He was a little pissed off that she'd ditched him, but at the same time, he was intrigued. When it came to girls, Lucas was used to getting what he wanted without too much of a fight. Something told him this was a girl worth fighting for…she made him feel something he'd never felt before. He'd find her at the next party and see if they could pick up where they left off. _

_He was jolted from his thoughts by a punch in the arm. Lucas looked up, scowling. "Shit," he breathed, discarding his earphones. Nathan stood in front of him, his blue eyes filled with fury. Lucas focused on an angry red mark below Nathan's left eye. He could see a large purplish bruise beginning to form. "What the fuck happened, Nate?"_

_Nathan shrugged, but Lucas could see he was shaking with barely suppressed rage. "I just lost it, Luke. I don't know if I can take much more of Dan's shit." Nathan leaned against the railing, taking deep breaths. _

_Lucas put his hand on Nathan's shoulder. "What did he do?"_

_Nathan looked down, studying the ground intently. "I told him off; he decked me."_

_The brothers were silent for a moment. Lucas was shocked that Dan had actually resorted to physical violence. He preferred verbal attacks which were targeted for maximum damage and provided more lasting, less visible scars. He knew that all he had to do was say one word to his mother and he would be on the first plane to his Uncle Keith's in Virginia Beach. But…he didn't want to leave Nathan at Dan's mercy for the summer._

"_Let's just forget it." Nathan sighed. "He told us to get started on the run. He'll meet us at the house."_

_Lucas clenched his fists and exhaled sharply. The asshole had kicked them both out of bed to force them on a family fun-run and now, he bailed."I fucking hate him." Lucas whispered._

"_I know. I do, too." Nathan glanced at Lucas, worriedly."Come on, shake it off. Let's get going. No use in pissing him off more." Nathan pulled out his iPod and put in his earphones._

_Lucas shook his head and replaced his own earphones, loud music filling his ears. The two brothers took off on their run each lost in their own thoughts; each cursing their misfortune in having a father named Dan Scott._

* * *

Lucas shook his head, remembering that morning. Everything changed that day. Dan Scott had crossed a line and Lucas realized it didn't matter what he and Nathan did; they would never be good enough to earn Dan's love or respect. No wonder he was so fucked up. Sometimes, he wondered what life would have been like without Dan. Sure, he wouldn't have a nice car or a free ticket to college…but he would be free. And maybe he would actually be happy instead of trying to bury his pain in alcohol and sex.

"_The voices in your head are calling; stop wasting your time, there's nothing coming. Only a fool would think someone could save you…You don't owe nothing, so boy get running. It's the best years of your life they want to steal." – The Clash_


	4. Closer to Fine

**Happy Easter! Hope you all had a nice weekend filled with delicious chocolate bunnies. I really appreciate all of your reviews and comments! They make me smile. :) I'm hoping the next couple of chapters answer some of the questions that have been brought up. This chapter gives us a bit more insight to the Brooke/Haley/Rachel friendship and gives a little more info on what happened to Brooke's parents. No, Brooke and Lucas don't come face-to-face, yet...but it will happen very soon. (I'm just drawing it out, because I love the tension.) I'm in the middle of writing the chapter where they meet right now and I want it to be good.**

**Hope you like it! **

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Closer to Fine**

"_Darkness has a hunger that's insatiable and lightness has a call that's hard to hear. I wrap my fear around me like a blanket…I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it. I'm crawling on your shores…The less I seek my source for some definitive, the closer I am to fine." – Indigo Girls_

Brooke leaned back and relaxed as Haley pulled away from Tree Hill Middle School. They'd just dropped Tessa off, watching as she bounced off, laughing and calling out greetings to her group of friends. Brooke was glad to see that Tessa had cheered up enough to get excited about her first day of school. The others' moods had also improved, especially after breakfast – Katie's pancakes turned out perfectly. There had even been laughter and joking around at the table, which made Brooke feel optimistic – maybe the Davis's were turning a corner? Haley had joined them for breakfast and taken the traditional first day of school picture out in the front yard before the three high-schoolers took off.

Brooke rolled down her window, enjoying the September sunshine. It would take them about 45 minutes to drive to school. Brooke sighed, remembering when she could roll out of bed still hung-over, throw on some clothes, grab a coffee and still make it to class in under 15 minutes. Those days were certainly over.

"Whatcha thinking about, Tigger?" Haley asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Oh, just about how convenient it was to live on campus." Brooke sighed.

"Yeah…that was very convenient. I liked having a crash pad over there after my late nights at the library." Haley mused.

Like Brooke, Haley came from a large family. As soon as Haley turned 18, her parents bought an RV and took off, travelling all over the country. She lived alone in her childhood home, and as her parents still paid the utilities, all she really had to worry about was food. But, Brooke knew that Haley was lonely, especially since her best friend had left for college in New York right before the Davis family moved to Tree Hill. Haley had become somewhat of a fixture around the Davis household – it reminded her of what her family-life was like before her they'd all left her behind. Brooke remembered how her mother thought it was terrible that Haley's parents left her all alone, even on holidays.

Brooke laughed. "Only you would need a crash pad to recover from excessive studying. So have you heard from your friend yet? The Lucas-guy?"

"Luke? Yeah, I saw him at the café yesterday morning. He only got back from Virginia Beach a couple of days ago. I think we might share some classes…we didn't get time to compare schedules or anything." Haley smiled. "I'm glad he's back. Although I don't know how much time we'll be able to spend together. Apparently, he's going to be living on campus. He's rooming with Nate."

"Wow, I'll finally get to meet the great Lucas Scott." Brooke teased. "Between you, Nathan, Rachel and Jake, I've certainly heard enough about him over the past year. I kind of feel like I know him already." Brooke smiled. "Is he as good-looking as Nate?"

Haley shook her head. "Oh, Brooke, you don't want to go there. He may be my best friend, but I have no problem admitting that he's a total dog. The way he and Nate treat women…"

Brooke laughed. "Oh, Hales! Didn't I just tell you I've heard all the stories about him? Even his baby sister refers to him as a 'man-whore.' No way would I ever be interested in a guy like that, at least not romantically. If he's another buddy that I can hang with, like Nate and Jake, then I'll be happy."

Haley looked relieved as she turned on the radio, music filling the car. "Wise decision, Brooke. You're too good for him."

As they pulled onto the highway, Haley was silent, concentrating on driving and Brooke let her thoughts drift. She found herself back where she often did, the morning her parents died.

* * *

_3 Months Ago_

_The sun was beginning to rise as Haley and Brooke got into Haley's car and drove away from the Scott family's beach house. _

"_Hales, I need to find out who this guy is. He is such an amazing kisser…imagine what else he'd be good at," Brooke smirked._

_Haley just snorted._

"_Seriously, Haley, that kiss just took my breath away. Whenever people would say crap like that, I had no idea what they were talking about. But, after that mind-blowing kiss, I totally get it." Brooke smiled, dreamily._

"_Must have been pretty good if you guys were so preoccupied you forgot to get each other's names." _

_Brooke ignored her friend's pointed remarks. "He called me 'Pretty Girl.' Isn't that romantic?"_

"_Very. Or, it could mean he possesses keen powers of observation since you are pretty and happen to be a girl." Haley commented, drily._

"_I hope he isn't too pissed that I ditched him." Brooke sighed._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Oh, we were going to hang out in the boathouse for a bit and talk and stuff. He'd gone inside to get us some drinks. I was waiting for him when you showed up."_

_Haley's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "The boathouse? Brooke, do you have any idea what goes on in there?"_

_Brooke bit her lip and wrinkled her forehead. "Um…storage of boats and other marine equipment?"_

"_Oh, Brooke." Haley sighed. "You're still new to Tree Hill –"_

"_We've been here almost a whole year, thank you very much."_

"_Whatever. You're still considered a newbie. I hate to break it to you, but the Scott boathouse is commonly referred to as the 'Love Shack' around here. Nathan, his brother and their friends use it to-"_

"_To get their freak on?"_

"_Yeah, something like that." Haley nodded. "I've been friends with Nate and Luke for ages, but they can be total pigs. Good thing I rescued you when I did."_

_Brooke was silent for a moment. She didn't want to say this to Haley, but she felt this guy was different. Or was he? Maybe she'd misread the expression in his eyes. Brooke crossed her arms and stared out the window. She was no virgin, but she avoided sleazy one night stands. She wondered what it was about her that made the guy think she was an easy lay. Maybe when she jumped up and kissed him before even getting his name? Brooke closed her eyes and inwardly groaned. It definitely was a good thing Haley had found her when she did. She would probably have done something she would later regret._

"_Uh-oh…" Haley whispered softly._

'_Nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m.' _

_Brooke jerked her head up and opened her eyes, wondering why that thought had popped into her head. "What's wrong?" Brooke asked, as she gazed out the window and found a police car parked in front of her house. The white house with the red door. "Oh, shit! My parents called the cops! Damn it, I knew I should have called!" Brooke reached in her purse and found her phone, seeing that there were a dozen new messages in her voicemail._

"_I knew I should have tried to find you sooner…I didn't think – I mean, my parents aren't around to care about how late I stay out." Haley said, regretfully as she pulled into the driveway._

"_Well, your folks have been away. What I wouldn't give for my parents to take a vacation by themselves every once in a while." Brooke gathered up her things, pausing when she caught the stricken look on her friend's face. "Hales, it's okay. Don't worry; it's not your fault. It's not like they can ground me – I'm a freakin' adult."_

"_Do you want me to come in with you?"_

"_Thanks for the offer, sweetie, but I think I'd better face them alone." Brooke smiled with a confidence she didn't feel and opened the car door. "I'll call you later."_

"_Good luck, Brooke."_

_Brooke shut the car door and waved as Haley drove away. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and popped a breath mint in her mouth. She was still half-drunk, but she could blame any erratic behavior on a lack of sleep. Brooke walked up to the front door and opened it. She was surprised her parents had called the cops. Usually when she was late, they'd lecture or yell, or maybe ground her in extreme cases. Maybe they were trying to set an example for her brother and sisters. Whatever – she was nineteen years old! She dropped her purse on the floor and kicked off her flip-flops, wondering why her parents weren't standing in the foyer to greet her._

"_Mom? Dad? Sorry I'm so late. I can explain…" Brooke's voice trailed off as she walked into her living room and found it was full of people. Jeremy and the twins were sitting on the sofa. Her sisters were crying, while her brother just stared at the floor. A middle-aged woman was perched on the arm of the sofa, looking at them, sadly. Two police officers, a man and a woman, stood by the fireplace._

"_Oh, Brooke, dear! You're finally home! Thank god you're safe!" Brooke turned her attention to Mrs. Baird, their neighbor. She was a kindly seventy-year-old widow who had befriended their family. The older woman hugged her tightly, and Brooke's gaze darted from the police officers to her siblings and back again._

"_Um, hi, Mrs. Baird. Where are my parents?" Brooke pulled away from the older woman's embrace and took a tentative step towards her brother. "Jeremy?"_

_Her brother tore his gaze from the floor and looked into her eyes. Brooke was surprised to see his clear green eyes were red and swollen from crying…unless he had just gotten busted for smoking weed. But, if that was the case, why were her sisters out of bed? And why was their neighbor here? Brooke's heart dropped as she began to make the connections. Something was wrong – horribly, terribly wrong._

"_What's wrong? Where are Mom and Dad? Someone please tell me." Brooke blinked back tears, as she began to panic._

_The policewoman walked over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Miss Davis, your parents were involved in a car accident early this morning. There was a drunk driver…they were killed instantly. I am so very sorry for your loss. We have Mrs. Kelly, here from Victims Services to help you and your sisters and brother -"_

_Brooke blankly stared at the policewoman as she continued talking, but she had no idea what the woman was saying. She glanced over at her siblings. Not one of them looked up to meet her eyes. So, it wasn't a horrible mistake. Brooke turned her gaze over to the large framed photograph hanging above the fireplace. The Davis family. Her parents were seated in the middle, surrounded by their five children – four daughters and a son. Now, they were gone; the center of their family had vanished just like that. _

"_Miss Davis…Miss Davis…" the policewoman was trying to get her attention. "Do you have any other relatives that need to be notified?"_

_Brooke shook her head, slowly. "Just my dad's half-brother. They…weren't that close."_

"_His name?"_

_Brooke closed her eyes and tried to breathe. "Um...Edward Davis. He lives in New York. He's older than Dad…from my grandfather's first marriage. He works in fashion. We don't know him well. We used to see him sometimes…I think Dad said he was gay…" The words tumbled out of her mouth and she saw the police officers exchange a look._

_She felt a strange lack of sensation overtaking her – maybe it was the alcohol. A cold numbness was creeping up her spine, and spreading through her mid-section…like she was slowly walking into a frigid mountain lake. "What are we going to do?" she asked the policewoman, helplessly. She didn't have parents anymore. They were gone. No one would care if she ate properly, or got home at a certain time, or wore short skirts. She could feel the room closing in on her and was barely aware of her brother gathering her in his arms._

"_You're scaring me, B." She heard him say, with a faint note of hysteria in his voice._

_Brooke clutched her brother's sleeve and looked up into his green eyes; their dad's eyes. "Dad was right, Jeremy; nothing good ever happens after two a.m." _

_And then, darkness._

* * *

"Brooke…Earth to Brooke. We're here." Haley frowned, seeing that Brooke seemed a little pale. "Are you okay?"

Brooke blinked a couple of times and looked around, disoriented. Then, she smiled widely. "Yay! We're here!" she exclaimed, enthusiastically.

The girls grabbed their bags and Haley locked the car, as they started walking across campus to their first class.

"You were pretty quiet during the drive." Haley commented, linking arms with Brooke.

Brooke sighed. "Yeah…I kind of started thinking about stuff. It's just not a great day, you know? And, it's a little freaky being back here. I mean, it all looks the same but everything's different." Brooke wrinkled her nose. She had a hard time putting her feelings into words."Does that make any sense?"

"I think it makes perfect sense." Haley looked at her, sympathetically. "You know I'm here if you want to talk about it."

"I know – and you've been a fantastic friend, Hales. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, for my family." Brooke squeezed Haley's arm, gratefully. "But, for now, I want to be a normal college sophomore. Let's be cheery!"

"Ready? Okay!" Haley gave her best cheerleader impression and the two friends burst out laughing. "Is that cheery enough for you, Tigger?"

"I never thought I'd see the day where Caffeine-Girl played cheerleader. I should tell Rachel – she might want you to join the squad. Thank you, friend. I appreciate the effort." Brooke grinned.

"Glad to help. Okay, let's go get you your non-fat mocha latte."

"Mmm, with extra whip." Brooke licked her lips in anticipation as they stopped at a coffee kiosk.

About fifteen minutes later, the girls walked into the large auditorium where their Psychology class was meeting. It took some heavy discussion to agree where to sit since Haley didn't want to sit too far back, so she could pay attention and easily ask questions and Brooke didn't want to sit too close to the front because she didn't want to get caught passing notes to Rachel. Finally, they settled on a trio of seats on the aisle, about 8 rows from the front of the room.

As they unpacked their textbooks and laptops, Brooke looked around the room. "Where's Rachel? She's in this section, right?"

"You were her roommate – you know very well what she's probably up to…or under…maybe on top of?" Haley speculated jokingly.

Brooke laughed, as she continued scanning the auditorium for her ex-roommate. As she gazed about the room, she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of a familiar pair of deep blue eyes in the crowd. She blinked…and lost sight of them. Brooke frowned, slightly. It must have been her imagination. She had been thinking of the broody blue-eyed boy she met on the beach every morning for three months, now. He was still firmly entrenched in her brain. She pushed him out of her mind and continued looking for her ex-roommate. Finally, she caught sight of a tall redheaded girl wearing skinny jeans, a sleeveless green silk top and a pair of strappy sandals.

"Yay! There she is! Rach! Over here!" Brooke waved at her friend and bounced up and down excitedly in her seat.

"No wonder you call her Tigger, Hales. Look at her bouncing around like she's got a spring in her tail," Rachel drawled as she edged her way towards the empty seat Brooke had been saving for her. She sat down and surveyed Brooke, her brown eyes twinkling. "Hey, bitch. I missed you."

"Hey, slut. I missed you, too." They laughed as they traded their customary greetings.

Rachel's eyes softened as she leaned over and gave Brooke a hug. "You doing okay, B.?"

Brooke closed her eyes, feeling tears pricking behind her eyelids. "I'm surviving, Rach."

"And how's the rest of the clan doing?"Rachel asked, releasing Brooke from the hug.

"They're…as good as can be expected." Brooke replied, in a soft voice. She picked up her purse and started rooting through it, to occupy her mind, so she wouldn't start bawling.

"We're trying to be normal college sophomores, today." Haley broke in, catching Rachel's eye and then quickly shooting a glance at Brooke. "We're being cheery. I even did a cheer in the middle of the quad. Brookie says I should ask you to put me on the squad."

Rachel started laughing. "That I'd have to see. Okay, since we're being regular college sophomores, let me tell you about this hot guy I brought home from that Delta Gamma Alpha Beta whatever-the-fuck party." Rachel leaned in closer, as Haley rolled her eyes. "This guy was hot. Dark hair, light brown eyes, and a killer body. His abs were rock hard…and his ass was tight. And his hands; well, let me tell you what he did with those hands…"

"Rachel, class is about to start!" Haley hissed, looking around to see if anyone else was listening to Rachel's locker-room talk.

Brooke smiled genuinely, for the first time that morning. Listening to Rachel bragging about her conquest and Haley clucking disapprovingly reminded her of the classes they shared last year. It was so familiar…normal. She could almost pretend she was back to being the same girl she was three months ago. "So…tell me exactly what he did with those hands." Brooke whispered mischievously as the professor walked into the room and the girls dissolved into giggles.

The back of Brooke's neck tingled…it felt like someone was staring at her. She didn't recall seeing anyone else she knew in the class. She tried to glance around without attracting too much attention to herself, but she didn't see anyone looking at her. She thought about the blue eyes she thought she had captured a glimpse of and wondered if it was possible…Brooke shook her head and dismissed the thought. She struggled to keep her attention on the lesson but the feeling she was being watched lingered throughout the entire lecture.


	5. Stop and Stare

**So, here's the next installment...there is some Brucas to keep you tied over until I post the next chapter - where they meet! I'm just putting the finishing touches on it and starting on chapter 7. I'm trying to keep at least one chapter chapter ahead, so I can give you all timely updates with chapters I am really happy with. Thanks again for all the reviews and alerts. I'm feeling the love and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :D Enjoy and let me know what you think.****Chapter 5 – Stop and Stare**

* * *

"_Stop and stare...I think I'm moving but I go nowhere. Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared but I've become what I can't be. Stop and stare...You start to wonder why you're here, not there and you'd give anything to get what's fair. But fair ain't really what you need. Oh, can you see what I see? – One Republic_

* * *

Lucas took a seat in the last row of the auditorium. He slouched down in the uncomfortable chair and took a long sip of his coffee. His head was pounding and he fluorescent lights made his eyeballs ache. He squinted and rubbed his forehead. Damn hang-over. Lucas sighed and leaned back in his seat. The Advil hadn't kicked in, yet. He was tempted to go back to bed, but he knew that skipping his first day of class would not get Dan off his case. Lucas' brow furrowed for a second. What class was this again? Psychology? Sociology? Did it even matter?

He looked around, hoping to spot a familiar face. Everyone around him had someone to talk to. Half of Tree Hill High had ended up at Duke, but he'd had yet to bump into anyone he knew. He'd rather die than admit it, but Lucas Scott was lonely. He rubbed the back of his neck and pulled his laptop out of his backpack. As he waited for it to boot up, he pondered how odd it was to be back in North Carolina – everything looked the same, but different at the same time.

He was trying to be okay with coming to Duke, but he missed NYU. He'd loved it up there...maybe a little too much. After his grades took a nosedive in the second semester, he ended up flunking out due to his excessive recreational activities. His father had been furious with him. To maintain appearances, he'd called in some favours with his buddies on the Admissions Board and got him admitted to Duke. Hell, Dan had even bought Lucas a place on the basketball team, next to his brother, in order to keep close tabs on him. Lucas figured Dan was under the impression that training, practices and games would keep him too busy to party. Finally, he threatened to cut Lucas off if his grades fell below a B-average.

Karen had also been angry, but she was more disappointed than anything. Lucas hated letting her down. His mother had sacrificed so much for him and put up with a lot of crap from Dan, so Lucas would grow up with the same advantages his half-brother and sister enjoyed. While Dan tried to bury all evidence of Lucas' fuck-up, his mother insisted he own up to what he had done. She sent him to stay with his Uncle Keith in Virginia Beach for the summer. Karen felt it would be a good idea to get him away from Dan's influence after he hit Nathan. Dan had opposed it, but Karen had won – by allowing Dan to dictate which college Lucas would be allowed to attend - Duke.

So, Lucas spent his days working at his uncle's body shop, and his evenings completing some on-line college courses, so he wouldn't have to repeat his freshman year. Lucas also spent a lot of time reading, writing and talking with his uncle. He found that his Uncle Keith was a good companion; he actually seemed to care what Lucas thought and felt about things. Sometimes, Lucas found himself wishing Keith was his father.

For the most part, Lucas enjoyed his peaceful summer; but part of him longed for the endless stream of parties and random hook-ups that usually occupied his time and distracted him from thinking about larger issues. He was able to return to Tree Hill for a few weekends and got to blow off some steam. Sure, he got instant gratification, but the emptiness deep within him still lingered once the high wore off. He yearned for something more...but what?

As Lucas absentmindedly gazed around the room, a pair of hazel eyes caught his attention. His eyes widened with surprise, as he focused on the girl those mesmerizing eyes belonged to. It couldn't be possible; it shouldn't be possible. Yet there she was – his pretty girl.

* * *

_3 Months Ago_

_Lucas stood at the end of the dock, staring out over the dark ocean. He could hear music blasting from the party behind him. He took a sip of his beer and sighed, enjoying the cool breeze wash over him. The night was hot and humid and the moist ocean air stuck to his lungs. He needed to take a breather from the party. There had to be at least a couple hundred people there, although the crowd was starting to thin out a bit. Everyone knew the Scott brothers threw the best parties. Tonight, they'd gone all-out to celebrate the start of summer and Lucas' homecoming. Lucas was trying his best to avoid having to think about how he got kicked out of college and incurred the wrath of Dan. He drank, danced with some random girls, smoked some weed, played "I Never" and made out with some more random girls who were happily throwing themselves at him. Having a bad-boy reputation was certainly paying off, he thought cynically. He continued drinking and eventually the brooding started, as it always did when he got to the point where he was drinking himself sober. Nathan got almost giddy when he was drunk; laughing, joking around, stealing the neighbours' sprinklers and spraying down the people dancing on the beach, and jumping into the pool fully-clothed. Lucas just withdrew into himself, becoming consumed by his thoughts – which was ironic considering he'd gotten drunk to escape thinking in the first place..._

"_Hey, stranger. What are you doing out here all by yourself?"_

_Lucas grinned and turned to see Haley James, his oldest friend, standing before him. "Hales!" he exclaimed, enveloping her in a hug._

"_I missed you, Luke," Haley sighed. "I'm glad you're home."_

"_Missed you, too."_

_Without any warning, Haley stepped back from the hug and punched him in the arm._

"_Ow! What was that for?" he demanded, angrily, while rubbing his arm. Damn, Haley could land a solid punch._

"_For getting yourself kicked out of NYU," Haley huffed. "That's a stunt I'd expect Nathan to pull. You're too smart for that, Luke."_

_Lucas just nodded, trying not to grin. "I guess that was deserved. Well, you'll be happy to hear I'm probably getting shipped off to Virginia Beach for a summer of work and quiet reflection with my Uncle Keith. That is, if Mom can convince Dan to go along with this plan of hers."_

_Haley nodded, firmly. "Well, I'm not happy that you're going away again, but I guess you're getting what you deserve. Karen was really upset, Luke."_

_Lucas looked down at his feet. "I know," he replied, quietly. "I'm really sorry I disappointed her."_

"_I'm glad you haven't completely killed off your remaining brain cells with all the booze." Haley smirked. "Look, it's getting late and I'm out of here as soon as I find my friend. Do you want to hang out tomorrow afternoon or something? We haven't had a chance to catch up and if you're leaving the state again..."_

_Lucas smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. Give me a call around noon, or so. I should be sufficiently recovered by then. But, who's this 'friend' you're looking for? A new boyfriend?" He jokingly nudged her._

_Haley rolled her eyes. "No, it's a girl. Her family moved to town last summer and we got to be close. I needed a new best friend after my old one left me."_

_Lucas chuckled. "Is she hot?"_

_Haley socked him in the arm again. "Don't get any ideas, Luke. She's too good for you. Hell will freeze over before I let you lure her into the Love Shack."_

_He just laughed again, putting his arm around Haley as they walked back towards the beach and parted ways with another hug. Even though it was past four in the morning, there was still a decent throng of people dancing on the beach. That stupid 'Tik Tok' song was playing and Lucas struggled through the crowd of gyrating bodies. He just wanted to stumble upstairs to his room and crash. _

"_Lucas, dance with me."_

_He glanced down in annoyance at a tall blonde girl hanging on his arm. Bevin. She'd been on the cheerleading squad at Tree Hill High. They'd fucked around a few times in junior year after he broke up with Lindsay, his one and only girlfriend in high school. Bevin could barely stand up straight. She must be trashed if she was talking to him; they hadn't parted on the best of terms. She declared her undying love for him and he'd laughed in her face and told her to get out of his room. He smirked as he shrugged her off._

"_Come on, Bev. You know I don't come back for seconds." He glared at her, pushing aside a twinge of regret at the hurt expression on her face._

_Now, he really wanted to get the fuck out of here. He was at the point of intoxication where he morphed into an ass, like his father. He hated the asshole he became when he was like this._

_He only made it a few feet further when another girl smacked into him. Here was another one who was completely wasted and staring up at the freaking sky, instead of watching where she was going. He opened his mouth to snap at her when he caught sight of her eyes. They were a rich hazel colour and even in the darkness, he could see the contrasting green, gold and brown tones...but there was more than that, they were sparkling with pure joy. He had never seen such an expression before – the sheer delight in taking pleasure in life and all it had to offer. He wanted to know the secret of her happiness; maybe she could help him. Then, she smiled up at him – a dazzling smile, complete with dimples. He found his irritation melting away, replaced by an almost electric, tingly feeling he'd never really experienced before._

"_Sorry about that," she apologized in a low, raspy voice that sent shivers down his spine._

_He couldn't help returning her smile. "Don't worry about it." Someone knocked into her, and she stumbled, nearly falling – until he caught her by waist and steadied her. "You okay?"_

_She just nodded, her dark brown hair tumbling around her shoulders in loose waves. His smile widened as he saw a faint blush colour her cheeks; still she didn't break eye contact with him._

"_Let's just say I'm feeling no pain," she replied, with a laugh._

_He suddenly became aware of how close he was holding her to him. Lucas breathed in the scent of her shampoo...it was light and sweet, a little fruity...it was like he was becoming intoxicated all over again by that scent. He should probably let her go, shouldn't he? But, she wasn't pushing him away and he really didn't want to let her go, just yet. Then, she started sliding her hands up his chest and he had to bite his lip to keep from groaning. Her touch made his heart beat faster...the way her hands lightly caressed him, no girl had ever touched him like that before. He wanted to see where she was going with this._

_She kissed him. God, it was an amazing kiss. He just pulled her closer and gave into the best kiss he experienced in his life. Her lips were soft and he could taste cherries from her lip gloss. And, when she nibbled on his lower lip...he wanted her then and there. _

_It was strange; they couldn't have been kissing for that long, but when they finally broke apart, much of the crowd had dissipated and the sky was a pinkish lavender colour. The stars had nearly disappeared. He stared at her, wondering if she could possibly be real. _

"_Where did you learn to kiss like that?" he asked, still reeling from the unexpected intensity of the kiss. _

_She just shrugged at him and tilted her head to one side. "Maybe we should find somewhere private to get to know each other better?"_

_His heart pounded as he gazed at her; the hair, the smile, the curvy figure with shapely legs that seemed to go on forever...and those eyes. Lucas gently brushed her hair out of her eyes and considered her request. He knew he wanted her; he wanted to keep holding her, he wanted to kiss her some more, he wanted to look into those eyes. He wanted to be alone with her. But, whether that meant sex...for the first time in years, Lucas just wasn't sure. He felt different about this girl. This wasn't a girl you could fuck and forget about. Finally, he answered her._

"_Meet me in the boathouse," he named the first place that popped into his mind. "I just need to run back inside – to grab us something to drink." He added hastily, thinking he needed to grab some condoms, just in case._

"_Don't keep me waiting." She whispered in his ear. Her hot breath on his neck made his spine tingle with excitement. God, she made him so hot._

"_You won't even notice I'm gone, Pretty Girl." He gave her one last squeeze and jogged towards the house. From the back deck, he glanced back at her standing on the beach in her red sleeveless top and denim skirt. That was the last time he saw her._

_He hadn't been gone ten minutes, but by the time he returned to the beach, she was gone. He checked the boathouse, but it was empty. As he stood in the boathouse, holding a six-pack of beer, he realized that he never did get her name._

* * *

Lucas stared at the beautiful brunette who had occupied his thoughts the last three months. He dreamed about her nearly every night and he compared every girl he met to her. He'd looked for her at other parties Nathan threw, but he never encountered her again...until today.

His jaw dropped when he realized who she was sitting next to – Haley. Was she the friend Hales said was too good for him? Before he could process that thought further, he saw a familiar redhead flounce past his row. Rachel Gatina, captain of the cheerleading squad at Tree Hill High. He smiled at her, but she walked past without noticing him. Instead, she made a beeline for Haley and her friend. He watched as Rachel hugged the brunette and he observed a sad expression on his pretty girl's face. He wondered why she looked so sad.

Now, he knew how to find out who she was. Ironic that all he had to do was ask Haley about her all along. And, if she was friends with Rachel, then she knew Nathan, too. Didn't Nate say something about a roommate of Rachel's? He'd mentioned her name, but for the life of him, Lucas could remember what it was. He shook his head slowly, reeling from the realization that this girl had been within his reach all along...and he had no idea. He smiled and leaned back in his seat, still watching her. He barely registered anything about the lesson, as he spent the entire hour staring at his pretty girl... he was beginning to think that flunking out of NYU and being forced to come to Duke might be the best thing that ever happened to him.


	6. All My Life

**Hi there, sorry about the delay - I wasn't really feeling the first draft of this chapter, so I ripped it apart and started over. In this installment, Lucas and Haley talk about Brooke; Brooke and Lucas finally come face-to-face and we see the first (very slight) hint of Naley. I hope you like it! Again, the reviews have been amazing - thank you all so much. I just hope I do them justice as the story continues.**

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**Chapter 6 – All My Life**

"_All my life I've been searching for something. Something never comes, never leads to nothing. Nothing satisfies, but I'm getting close - closer to the prize at the end of the rope. All night long I dream of the day...When it comes around, and it's taken away; leaves me with the feeling that I fear the most - feel it come to life when I see your ghost." – Foo Fighters_

Brooke's patience was wearing thin. She tried to distract herself by passing notes with Rachel, but that didn't help. Haley and Rachel had both noticed her restlessness and kept exchanging meaningful glances, which only agitated Brooke even further. The sensation she was being watched became stronger as each minute ticked by. It was seriously creeping her out. No one seemed to be looking in her direction...but the feeling still persisted. By the end of the hour, Brooke was beginning to think she was losing her mind. As soon as class was dismissed, she jumped to her feet and scanned the back of the auditorium, trying to see if there was someone watching her.

"God, that lecture was awful!" Rachel groaned, as she gathered up the scraps of paper she and Brooke had been writing their notes on.

"Yeah, it was great," Brooke replied, distractedly. It was impossible to tell who had been staring at her; there was such a huge crowd of students packing up their things and moving towards to the doors at the rear of the auditorium. If anyone was looking at her, they were lost in the throng of students, now.

Rachel shot a puzzled look at Haley. "Oh, yeah, B. It was a very scintillating class," Rachel responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I especially liked the part where the prof ripped off his shirt and played his stomach like a drum. It was quite musical, wasn't it, Hales?"

"Very. Maybe I should ask him to join my band." Haley commented, rolling her eyes.

"Sounds good, Hales," Brooke frowned. Maybe she had been imagining things... "Ow!" she shouted loudly, as Rachel pinched her on the arm. "What was that for?"

"Yup, she's awake." Rachel smirked.

"That was mean." Brooke pouted, as she gathered up her belongings and stuffed them in her Coach carry-all.

"Well, you were off in another world, just now. You barely paid attention and you seem really jumpy." Haley smiled, but Brooke could see the concern in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

Brooke bit her lip as the three girls walked out of the room. She knew her friends were already worried enough about her...she didn't want to worry them even more. And telling them she felt like she was being watched would do little to put their minds at ease. Instead, she smiled widely, making sure to deepen her dimples. "I'm just happy to be back at school with my besties!" she exclaimed linking arms with both girls.

"What do you guys have next?" Haley asked.

"Um, Art History." Brooke replied, with a shrug.

Rachel made a face. "Blah. Another fascinating class."

"Speak for yourself. I enjoy art." Brooke replied. "Come on, Rach. We can walk and talk. I don't want to be late. Bye, Haley-Hales!"

"Bye, Tigger. See you at lunch." Haley turned to Rachel. "Are you buying her happy-happy, joy-joy act?"

"Not for a second. We'll get it out of her. Don't worry, Brooke Davis will spill eventually." Rachel hoisted her purse further up on her shoulder.

"Come on, slut, get a move on!" Brooke shouted. She stopped about twenty feet away and was tapping her foot impatiently, her hands on her hips as she waited for Rachel.

"Oh, bitch, stop being such a Brooke!" Rachel shot back, laughing as Brooke huffed off. "I'd better catch up with her. See you at lunch?"

"Of course. I'm going to see if I can track down Luke and see if he's joining us." Haley and Rachel parted ways with a quick wave.

Haley pulled out her cell phone to send a text to Lucas, when a shadow fell over the phone display. Haley looked up and found herself face-to-face with her best friend. "Luke! I was just going to text you!" She threw her arms around him.

Lucas laughed at the wide grin on Haley's face. "I was waiting for you to come out."

"How did you know where I was?" Haley asked, as she pulled out of the hug.

"Hales, I know everything. You should know that by now." Lucas said jokingly, as Haley rolled her eyes. "Actually, I'm in that class, too."

Haley's jaw dropped. "Shut up!" she exclaimed, giving him a shove in the shoulder. "Why didn't you sit with us?"

"I didn't see you at first. But, I will definitely be sitting with you, Rach and your pretty friend from now on." Lucas smirked at her. "What do you have now?"

"English Lit. You?"

Lucas pulled his schedule out of his back pocket. "Huh. Me, too." His smile widened. "And here I thought I was all by my lonesome."

"Good, we'll get a chance to catch up a little on our way to class. I've been dying to find out about your summer." Haley and Luke started walking towards the building where their class was being held. "How's Keith?"

"Keith's good; great, in fact. I think spending the summer with him was just what I needed. It was nice to be away from the pressure cooker that's Tree Hill. Peaceful, you know? I kind of wish I could have stayed there." Lucas sighed. "It's just so different with Keith. I can actually talk to him about stuff and he really cares."

Haley squeezed Lucas' arm, reassuringly. "I'm glad you had a peaceful summer. You deserved it...I wish Nathan could have gone with you, as well."

Lucas glanced over at Haley and squinted at her, worriedly. "How was he? He hasn't really talked to me about how things were with Dan. He just said they weren't great."

Haley frowned thoughtfully. "We spent a lot of time together...hanging out, talking." Haley hesitated, as she contemplated how much to reveal to Lucas. It took a lot for Nathan Scott to open up to anyone. Haley was surprised that she was the person he turned to, but she was glad he was talking to someone. She did not want to violate Nathan's trust – he asked her not to tell anyone what he confided in her, not even his brother. Haley chose her words with care. "Dan backed off a bit after the hitting...but he was still pretty relentless. Nate was drunk or high almost every day for about a month. He finally smartened up when I told him I wouldn't hang out with him anymore if he kept it up."

Lucas just nodded and rubbed the side of his face, trying to ignore the guilt simmering just beneath the surface. "Shit. I'll talk with him later. He can't keep doing this to himself."

Haley shook her head. It was a wonder Lucas and Nathan were able to deal with the abuse that was heaped on them by Dan. Granted, they were self-medicating with alcohol, sex and illegal substances...but it could be so much worse. "You're one to talk. You're just as bad as he is – you're hung-over today, aren't you?"

Lucas just looked away from his best friend's steady gaze. "Can we talk about this later?" They climbed the steps to the building that housed their class and Lucas held the door open for Haley.

Haley simply nodded, thinking how unfair it was that good parents, like Brooke's, died and assholes like Dan Scott were allowed to continue torturing their offspring and get away with it. It was so unfair.

The two friends walked down the hallway to their classroom in silence. They found a couple of seats near the front of the room and got settled. Lucas glanced over at Haley. He wondered what Nathan had confided in her. It was strange – Haley had always been _his_ friend, not Nate's. Sure, his best friend and his brother got along okay. They usually traded barbed insults and joked around with each other. Haley had even tutored Nathan for a few months during their junior year of high school. But, they were never _friends_. Not the way Lucas and Haley were. Maybe he should just be glad that Nate had someone to rely on while Lucas was away. He shrugged and decided to leave it, for now. Instead, he debated on how to ask Haley about her friend; his pretty girl. But, he was having a hard time figuring out how to bring her up without arousing suspicion.

Maybe he should just take the direct approach. "Haley...who's that girl sitting between you and Rachel in class?"

Haley's eyes narrowed, suspiciously. "Why?"

"I'm just curious." Luke smiled at Haley, reassuringly. "I've never seen her before and she's all chummy with you and Rachel – which was another thing I wanted to ask you about, by the way – I just want to know who she is."

Haley pursed her lips, still gazing at Lucas, warily. "Her name is Brooke Davis. She moved to Tree Hill the summer after we graduated from high school. I met her at the café one day and we kind of hit it off, weirdly enough. She kept calling me 'Caffeine-Girl' and it really got on my nerves." Haley shook her head, smiling at the memory of her first encounter with Brooke. "I hung out with her family a lot after my parents took off. When we started at Duke, she roomed with Rachel. So, I ended up making friends with the redheaded she-beast." Haley shrugged.

Luke smiled widely. His pretty girl had a name, at long last. _Brooke Davis._ It suited her.

"Lucas Eugene Scott." Haley's stern tone snapped him out of his daydream. "Don't even think about it."

"Think about what?" Lucas was genuinely surprised.

Haley snorted. "I've known you since Kindergarten. I also know how you operate when it comes to girls." Haley leaned forward, glaring at him. "I see that predatory grin on your face. You think you've found your next conquest."

"Hales, it isn't like that." Lucas protested.

"No it isn't! Brooke is special; she's one of my best friends and she's been through so much the last few months – I won't allow you to dick around with her, like you've done to so many other girls. She's too good for you." Haley sat back and crossed her arms.

He hid a smirk, thinking about how Brooke had leapt up and kissed him, without hardly any introduction at the party...and how he very nearly had lured her to the Love Shack. Maybe Haley didn't know Brooke as well as she thought she did."You brought Brooke to that party we had in June?" Lucas asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

Haley nodded, hesitantly. "God, what a crazy night that was. Brooke was pretty wasted when we left. She had just made out with a 'really hot' guy who wanted to take her to the freakin' Love Shack... good thing I rescued her, right? But she was pretty far-gone; she thought he was such a good kisser with amazing eyes. What especially thrilled her was the fact he called her 'Pretty Girl'." Haley sighed, thinking about that night. "I don't know, but she was seriously considering letting him seduce her...She's no nun, but she's not into one-night stands. Maybe she really felt something. Or, maybe she was just really drunk. Sometimes she is so impulsive and rushes full-steam ahead without thinking."

Lucas listened to Haley's diatribe, trying to hide the grin. She thought he had amazing eyes...she'd liked it when he called her 'Pretty Girl.' He felt almost giddy. And in less than an hour, he'd finally get to see her again.

"Anyway, you wouldn't have a shot in hell. She's heard too many stories about you." Hayley continued.

Lucas' eyes narrowed and his giddiness evaporated. "What stories?"

Haley laughed. "Lucas, come on. She's hung around with us for over a year – she's heard a lot of things about you...I mean, about the partying and the girls...you know how Nate and Rach are. No topic is sacred." Haley's laughter faded sight of as she caught sight of Lucas' expression. "Hey..." Haley's tone softened. "Why do you care what Brooke thinks about you? You don't even know her."

"I just find it interesting that Brooke Davis has heard so much about me and before today, I never even heard her name." Lucas fixed an icy stare at Haley. It was almost as if Brooke had been hidden from him; like he wasn't good enough and for some reason that thought just pissed him off.

Haley put her hand on Luke's arm and he shook her off. Haley drew back, confused. Lucas' jaw was set and he sat, staring straight ahead. "Luke, come on." Haley sighed. "She's looking forward to meeting you, if that's any consolation."

Lucas glanced up, puzzled. "She is?"

"Of course, you're important to me, to Nate and to your mom." Haley chuckled, slightly. "If you're important to us, you're important to her. That's just how Brooke is."

"She knows my mom?" Lucas shook his head in disbelief. She was connected to so many people he cared about and he had no idea...the sheer coincidence was leaving him reeling.

Haley nodded. "The Davis family are regulars at your mom's cafe. And Brooke started be working there part-time a few weeks ago to earn some extra cash."

Lucas just nodded, trying to mask his surprise. "Don't tell me she's had the pleasure of meeting Dan." he stated, sarcastically.

"Actually..."

"Oh, come on!" Lucas exclaimed.

Haley's eyes widened at his reaction. "Look, Brooke's sisters are friends with Peyton. The girls have sleepovers and hang out all the time. So, yeah, she knows Dan and Deb." Haley looked at Lucas, with a bewildered expression on her face. "What the heck is the big deal?"

Lucas exhaled, slowly and tried to calm himself down. He debated on whether he should tell Haley that he was the hot guy Brooke had made out with. He frowned for a second. If he told Haley, she would definitely warn Brooke away from him. He wanted Brooke to make the decision for herself. He had felt something for her that night – something that shook him to his very core. He thought about her constantly; and now he finds that she's been part of his life all along? Lucas Scott was not one to put much stock in fate or destiny and all that other crap, but all this... it had to mean something, didn't it?

"It's not a big deal...just kind of surprising. It's weird how I don't know this girl, but I was drawn to her when I saw her in class. And, then I find out she's tied to so many people in my life – she's friends with you and Nate; she works for my mom; she knows Dan and Deb; her sisters are friends with my sister. It almost leads one to believe in fate." He mused as he toyed with his pen.

"Lucas..." Haley started, but trailed off, uncertain what to say.

Lucas shook his head and laughed, slightly. "It's okay, Hales. I'm just in a mood, today. It's strange to be back here after having been away for so long. Seeing how everything's changed, yet still remains the same...it's disconcerting."

Haley's brow furrowed for a moment. "Interesting...you're the second person who's said something like that to me today."

"Oh? Who was the first?" Luke looked up and glanced at the doorway. The professor had just entered the room.

"It's not important." Haley replied thoughtfully, remembering Brooke's words earlier that morning. She gazed at her best friend as the professor introduced herself and began handing out the course outline to the class. It _was_ kind of creepy how Brooke and Lucas had each expressed the exact same thought to her in the space of a couple of hours.

As well as she knew Lucas Scott, there were times she just couldn't figure him out. Why the sudden interest in Brooke, a girl he didn't even know? Haley had mentioned Brooke before to him, many times, but here he was acting like Haley was somehow keeping her from him. He obviously hadn't paid close enough attention – but that was typical Lucas. He could be so self-centered at times; if it wasn't about him, he didn't give a shit. She sighed slightly. Haley dismissed her thoughts and tried to focus on the lecture.

* * *

"Oh my god...another awful class." Rachel moaned, as she and Brooke stepped into the sunlight and made their way across the quad towards the cafeteria.

Brooke grinned. "I actually liked it. The ancient Greeks had gorgeous lines in their sculpture. I found it interesting."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Tell me you're coming to Nate's party this weekend. You never go out anymore, B. I'm sure the munchkins could spare you for a few hours."

Brooke shrugged and looked away, so Rachel didn't see the sadness in her eyes. "I'll probably stay home. I'm the only adult in my household now. I need to be the responsible one; set a good example and all that stuff." Brooke flashed a quick smile at her friend. "I know how those Tree Hill High kids like to party; and now I have three teenagers to worry about."

Rachel waved away her concern. "Whatever. Katie's a homebody and Sam is a funky, weird, gothy-type who is not into socializing like a normal person. Jeremy's the only one you need to worry about and he's captain of the basketball team. His corruption is inevitable, unless it's happened already. The way I see it, you've got nothing to worry about."

Brooke sighed. "Well, that's reassuring, I suppose." She shuddered, thinking of the mischief she used to get into back in high school. She didn't want to think of her little brother and sisters getting into the same scrapes she did. She was beginning to have an inkling as to why her parents spent so much time worrying.

Sensing that Brooke was becoming weighed down by thoughts of her family, Rachel decided to change the subject. "So, I know you told me you were quitting the squad...but just so you know, I haven't filled your spot, yet."

"Rach, it's too demanding. I can't be away so much." Brooke sighed. Of all the sacrifices she had to make over the last three months, this one hurt the most. She loved cheering.

"Hear me out." Rachel held up a hand to silence Brooke's protests. "You are amazing and it makes you so happy, B. You need to hold on to something; you've given up so much already. Besides, the squad needs you – you are an awesome choreographer." Rachel shifted her books. "We need you to have a shot at winning this year."

Brooke sighed. She wasn't sure how it would all work out. Between practices, games, travelling for away games and competitions, she wouldn't be home very much. Plus, she had to fit in studying and her shifts at the café.

"I know what you're thinking, Brookie." Rachel broke into her thoughts. "We can figure it out. I've been brainstorming. If I can work something out so you can cheer on the squad, will you do it?"

"Of course." Brooke replied. What else could she say?

"Then leave everything to me." Rachel linked arms with Brooke and they continued walking towards the outdoor courtyard where they usually met everyone for lunch.

* * *

Haley glanced up at Lucas as they approached the cafeteria. Her friend had been quiet since class ended, uttering only one or two word responses to her questions. He was brooding again; but over what? Haley had no clue. She sighed and glanced around the courtyard, smiling as she saw Jake Jagielski sitting at their usual table.

Haley nudged Lucas and nodded towards Jake. A smile spread across Lucas' face at the sight of his old friend. "Hey, Jagielski!" He exclaimed, taking a seat beside him. Haley sat down in the empty seat on Luke's other side.

"Hey, Luke," Jake said, warmly, bumping fists with him. "Good to have you back, man."

Luke smiled, "Good to be back. You heard we're going to be teammates again?"

"Can't wait. Looks like the dream team's been reassembled. We're so going to kick ass this year." Jake replied. "Nice you to see you, too, Hales. Where were you last night? I thought you would've been coming to Nate's party. I was kind of disappointed you weren't there."

Haley laughed and shook her head. "Nowhere to crash. Besides, I was driving Brooke in this morning."

"Right, she doesn't live on-campus anymore." Jake nodded, and sighed. "Guess that means I'll be seeing less of you." He said, raising his eyebrows, suggestively.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Stop it, Jake. We all know you have a thing for a certain tall bitchy redhead."

"We do?" Lucas smirked. "C'mon, you and Rach?"

Haley turned to Luke, grinning. "Jake and Rachel had a drunken hook-up last year and Jake fell head-over heels. Problem is, Rachel has no memory of it."

Lucas winced. "Ouch."

Jake ran his hand through his hair. "Guys, stop it."

Haley ignored his plea. "So, Jagielski flirts with me to over-compensate...usually he just does it in front of Rachel. Maybe he was practicing or something?"

"Haley, who's your friend? Is this the great Lucas Scott?" A tingle charged down Luke's spine, hearing that distinctive, throaty voice that could only belong to Brooke Davis.

* * *

"Hey, who's that sitting with Haley and Jake?" Brooke asked, spotting a guy she hadn't seen before. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his face. There was something about him that seemed familiar.

"Oh, that's Lucas. Haley said she was going to track him down and ask him to join us." Rachel replied, with a small smirk.

"Lucas Scott? As in Nathan's brother? Fina-freakin'-ly." Brooke smiled. She was actually looking forward to meeting the other Scott brother. "Haley! Who's your friend? Is this the great Lucas Scott?" she called out.

Haley smiled and hearing his name, the guy turned. Brooke stopped dead in her tracks. Rachel continued towards the table and took a seat next to Jake. It was him...her broody boy from the beach. Her heart was pounding as Haley introduced them, but she couldn't hear a word her friend was saying. Brooke just stared into his eyes...those were the same ocean blue eyes she had lost herself in that June morning...those were the same soft lips she had kissed. Brooke stood rooted to the spot; she couldn't think; she couldn't breathe. She was paralyzed by the intensity of his gaze.

Her broody boy was Lucas Scott – the arrogant womanizer. This revelation set off a torrent of emotions. She was angry, she was overjoyed, she was confused, she was hurt. He got to his feet and walked towards her. As he approached, bits and pieces of stories she had heard about him flashed in her brain. Lucas Scott was the type of guy her mother warned her about...but this was her broody boy, damn it! The look in his eyes made her want to melt. He shouldn't be having this effect on her. She bit her lower lip, trying not to let on that the sight of him had nearly struck her senseless. Brooke trembled slightly and tightened her grip on her Art History textbook, until her knuckled whitened. God, she wanted to kiss him so bad...

Lucas turned and saw Rachel and Brooke approaching. He sucked in his breath, and focused his gaze on Brooke. She was smiling widely. The sadness he had observed this morning seemed to have dissipated. His heart rate quickened and he found himself wiping his suddenly sweaty palms on his jeans. She stopped short and stared at him, her hazel eyes boring into his. Her rose-coloured lips formed an 'O' shape. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe a little more. He gazed at her, as a number of different emotions flickered across her face. Shock, happiness, hurt, fear, and finally...desire. Lucas noticed her biting her lip and clutching her textbook closely to her. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and kiss her until she was breathless. He got to his feet and took a couple of steps towards her. He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets and smiled.

"Hi, Pretty Girl. Remember me?"


	7. Change Your Mind

**Happy Monday, everyone! I just want to appologize for the cliff-hanger I left off with last time - the chapter was getting long enough and I really wanted to write a new chapter that would focus on their meeting. This one took a long time, but I wanted to make it somewhat realistic. I hope it was worth the wait. As always, I appreciate any feedback - good, bad, ugly - I'll take it all! **

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**Chapter 7 – Change Your Mind**

"_Racy days help me through the hopeless haze, but my oh my...Tragic eyes I can't even recognize myself behind. So, if the answer is no, can I change your mind? While I ignore that we both felt like this, before it starts to show. So, if I had a chance, would you let me know?" – The Killers_

"Hi, Pretty Girl. Remember me?"

Her broody boy spoke in a low voice, so none of their friends could hear him. His voice seemed calm, confident; but his mannerisms betrayed him. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders were tensed up. And even though he was smiling at her – that heart-stopping smile she remembered so clearly – his brow was slightly furrowed. Still, knowing that he was nervous didn't soothe her own nerves one bit.

Brooke drew in a sharp breath and closed her eyes for a moment. '_Pretty Girl. He called me Pretty Girl'. _Her heart fluttered and she could tell by the warmth in her cheeks that she was blushing again. Damn it. She opened her eyes, and saw him smirking at her. She needed to get a hold of herself. She was acting like a fourteen year-old girl crushing on the quarterback. She needed to regain control of her emotions and fast. Brooke shook her head, so her long hair tumbled over her shoulders and she smiled a dazzling smile that she knew for a fact made men weak at the knees.

Brooke arched an eyebrow, silently appraising him. It had been three months since she last laid eyes on him; not to mention she was less than sober at the time. She wanted to spend some time drinking him in since she had the chance.

His hair was a little longer, his skin was tanned a light golden brown and he obviously hadn't shaved this morning - stubble darkened his jaw line. His eyes were the same deep blue; except they sparkled and seemed livelier than they had before. No sadness, this time. They looked a little bloodshot, most likely from partying the night before. He still looked sexy as hell.

She had often wondered what it would be like if their paths crossed again. She pictured herself jumping into his arms and kissing him passionately; then he would lift her up in his strong arms and carry her away from all her troubles and her worries. She just never imagined that her broody boy would turn out to be Lucas Scott. Lucas Scott – of all the guys she had to make-out with at Nate's party, she picked his man-whore of a brother. It was just her luck. Well, it didn't matter, now. As if she was going to give her heart to someone who'd allegedly fucked three different girls in one night. She had to be strong and not let him see the effect he had on her. She was an expert in masking her emotions. Brooke took a few steps towards him, closing the distance between them. She stood just inches away from him and tilted her head upwards to meet his eyes.

"Of course I remember you, Broody-boy," she whispered huskily, before brushing past him and taking a seat next to Haley. She hoped no one would notice the way her hands shook as she set her books down on the table. To her dismay, Lucas chose to sit on her other side.

"You stole my seat," he said lightly, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize-" Brooke groaned inwardly as she felt her cheeks flush once again.

Lucas leaned towards her, brushing his shoulder against hers. "I'll let it go this time. But next time, I might ask for something in return."

Brooke swallowed hard and continued smiling at him. "Hmmm. And what would that be?" she drawled, almost lazily – like she didn't have a care in the world. Her heart was still pounding from the brief moment they touched, but she kept up her facade. _'He's just another guy'_, she told herself.

Lucas' grin widened. "Oh, don't you worry. I'll think of something..." Then he winked at her, licking his lips as he looked her up and down.

"Ahem!" Haley cleared her throat, and Brooke turned her attention towards her friend. Haley looked less than impressed and was glaring at Lucas. She'd never seen the mild-mannered girl look so angry before. If looks could kill, Lucas would be dead a dozen times over by now. "Luke..."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Hales, I'm just having fun."

Haley shook her head in disgust. "Sure you are."

Brooke raised an eyebrow and looked at Haley and then, Lucas. "Did I miss something?"

Haley sighed. "No, it's nothing, Tigger."

Brooke shrugged and pulled her lunch out of her bag. She hated bringing her lunch to school. She felt like such an eight-year-old. She supposed she had to suck it up; be a grown-up and all that. Grown-ups were economical and made healthy decisions, even though the fries on Lucas' plate were calling her name. It's what her mom would've wanted – for her kids to be eating properly. It wasn't like they couldn't afford crappy cafeteria food...but Victoria only allowed them to buy lunch once a week and Brooke was determined to stick to that rule. She even applied it to herself, in order to placate Sam and Jeremy who whined incessantly about having to make their own lunches. Apparently, it wasn't cool, or something. She sighed slightly, remembering that she needed to learn how to cook. Their stash of what Jeremy called "funeral food" wouldn't last forever...

"Hey! Brookie! Over here!" Rachel's voice shattered her reflections.

Brooke jerked her head up and looked around the table. Everyone was staring at her. "Um...why are you hollering at me, bitch?"

Rachel threw back her head and laughed. "Only because I've asked you the same question three times and you were completely zoned out."

Brooke laughed, uncomfortably, as she noticed Lucas staring at her, thoughtfully. She tore her gaze away from his and concentrated on her salad.

"Yeah, Tigger...where did you go just now?" Haley asked, softly.

"Nowhere, Haley-bell. Just...nowhere." She answered, lamely. She deliberately ignored the concerned glances Haley, Rachel and Jake were shooting her. Brooke could also sense that Lucas' intense gaze was still trained on her.

Everyone at the table fell into silence. Thankfully, Nathan arrived moments later, to break up the awkwardness.

"Hey, why's everyone so damned quiet? Is it because y'all were waiting for me to show up?" Nathan grinned, as he high-fived Jake. He took the seat between Lucas and Rachel, setting his tray on the table.

Rachel smirked and stole a fry off of his plate. "You're just in time. I'm trying to convince Brookie to come out to your party Saturday night."

"Come on, Davis. You gotta come. It's the first party of the year - it wouldn't be the same without the girl who introduced an awesome new tradition..." Nathan winked at her, while Haley groaned.

Lucas glanced at his brother and then back towards Brooke. "What new tradition?" he asked curiously.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Nate, you guys don't need me there to continue the tradition. I think you can handle it without me." She turned to Lucas. She was so going to kill Nathan for bringing this up. "Last year, Nathan threw a party at the beach house to celebrate the start of our college experience and I thought it would be a nice idea to have some sort of a...bonding exercise."

"Don't sugar-coat it, B. You just wanted to see some hot guys get naked." Rachel smirked.

"What kind of tradition is this?" Lucas asked, amused.

"Skinny-dipping. I convinced everyone to go skinny-dipping, not that it was hard since we were all so wasted." Brooke replied, quickly. She wished they would stop reminiscing – she wasn't that girl anymore.

Lucas laughed. "Okay, you definitely have to come to this party." He leaned close to her and lowered his voice. "I can't wait to see you participate is this...tradition," he whispered in her ear.

Brooke cursed silently, as she felt a tingle run down her spine. She shook her head. "Sorry guys, I'm not going." She announced to the table, ignoring Lucas' whispered statement.

"Brooke, you have to!" Rachel pleaded.

"Yeah, we miss hanging out with you – and your crazy stunts." Nathan interjected, around a mouth full of cheeseburger.

"You should get out and have fun once in awhile." Jake jumped in.

"No, I really can't go. Let me list off the reasons why." Brooke sighed, in frustration. "First of all, Tessa is too young to be left alone. There's no way I could get a sitter for her. What would I say? 'Excuse me, but I need a sitter so I can get trashed and go skinny-dipping with my friends.' Yeah, that'd go over real well." Brooke let out a sarcastic laugh. "Second, Sam and her so-called 'band' are practicing in our garage that evening and as if I'm letting a bunch of unsupervised fourteen and fifteen year-olds loose in my parents' house. I used to be that age and I know perfectly well what those little hellions would be up to. The house wouldn't be standing by the end of the night. Third, Peyton is staying over this weekend because she didn't want her to be left alone again, seeing as Nathan and Lucas will be too busy partying to look after her. Someone's got to step in and be somewhat responsible." Brooke sat back and crossed her arms. "Are those reasons good enough for you?" she snapped.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, until Lucas spoke up.

"What about your parents? Where are they in all of this?" Lucas asked. "I mean, it seems a bit much for them to be dumping all of the responsibility on you."

"Lucas..." Haley hissed at him.

A wave of pain and hurt washed over Brooke. No one had mentioned her parents directly to her today – her friends knew it was an unspoken rule. They could ask how she was, how her family was; but under no circumstances were they to discuss her parents. The raw emotion took her by surprise – she thought she had let it all out in the shower this morning. Her eyes began to fill with tears and she gathered her belongings. She kept her eyes averted, so no one would see her like this – weak. "I, uh, have to go. I just remembered something...I have to do." Brooke got to her feet, stumbling slightly.

Lucas caught her by the arm. "Brooke? Are you okay?" He asked her, his blue eyes filled with worry.

Brooke looked away, but it was too late; he'd seen the traitorous tears welling up in her eyes. "Let me go..._please_?" she whispered, hoarsely.

Something in her voice must have convinced him, because he released her without another word. She caught a glimpse of her friends' stricken faces and Lucas' worried frown before she turned and ran. She was about to lose it and she needed to get the hell away. Blindly, she rushed through the crowd of students gathered in the courtyard, breaking into a run as she reached the quad. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could leave the heartbreak behind...maybe if she ran fast enough; she would find the strength she needed to get through this.

* * *

Everyone at the table stared after Brooke's retreating figure in dismay.

Haley got to her feet and grabbed her things. "I'll go after her." She reached over and punched Lucas on the arm. "I'll talk to you later."

"What did I do?" Lucas glared at his best friend.

Haley rolled her eyes. "You are so fucking self-centered sometimes, Luke. Like I said, we'll talk later."

"Hales," Nathan spoke up. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Haley smiled slightly at the concern in Nathan's voice. "It's okay, Nate. It's probably better if I find her myself."

Nathan nodded. "Let me know if you need anything...or, um, if Brooke needs anything."

"Thanks, Nate." Haley blushed slightly at Nathan's words as she turned and walked off quickly in the direction Brooke disappeared in. Nathan gazed after her until she was out of sight.

Lucas looked around the table, in confusion. "Seriously, what happened just now?"

Rachel crossed her arms and heaved a sigh. "Nathan, will you please enlighten your idiot of a brother before I kick his ass into next week?"

"Well fuck you too, Rach." Lucas spat back.

"Jackass." Rachel hissed.

Nathan slammed his fist on the table. "Enough!" he yelled, loud enough to get the attention of people sitting at other tables. He sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. "Luke, you just put your foot in it, big time. Brooke's parents aren't around because they're dead."

"Oh." Lucas was stunned. Then, he was ashamed for how callously he'd brought up the subject of Brooke's parents. Now he understood why she looked so sad earlier. Lucas rubbed the back of his neck and squinted at Nathan. "What happened?"

"They were killed by a drunk driver back in June – the night of the party I threw welcoming you home." Nathan looked down, studying the surface of the table. "It devastated her, man."

"She's had to grow up a lot in the last three months." Jake interjected, as he draped an arm around Rachel's shoulders. "She has four younger sibs and she's all they've got except for some gay uncle up in New York City. He's a nice guy and he's good to them, but he doesn't come down that often. It's all up to her, for now."

"She's still hurting, Lucas. She just doesn't show it. She never talks about her parents' death – not with any of us. And for you to throw it in her face like that..." Rachel jumped in, her voice trembling with anger. "You're such a douche!"

Jake rubbed her arm, soothingly. "Come on, Rach. Let's go for a walk." He suggested. Rachel nodded and got up, throwing one last glare at Lucas before walking away. "See you guys at practice." Jake said, apologetically before dashing off to catch up with Rachel.

"I didn't know. I only met her today!" Lucas pleaded with Nathan. He felt horrible for Brooke – to have to deal with all of that at nineteen...he couldn't imagine. But, everyone was acting like he upset her purposely and that made him angry.

"Luke, what the fuck?" Nathan glared at his brother. "Of course you knew about it. I freaking told you about it – I called you on the day of the funeral. I told you about them – Brooke's parents were really good to me, to all of us." He shook his head in disgust. "You know, Haley's right."

Lucas stared at his brother with narrowed eyes. "Right about what?"

"You never listen, Lucas. Unless I'm talking about you, basketball, chicks or partying, you don't give a shit. Everything has to be about you. If it isn't, you could care less." Nathan's voice was filled with fury, but the expression in his eyes was one of hurt and disappointment.

Lucas sat perfectly, still, holding Nathan's gaze. He wracked his brain, trying to remember that phone call...instead, he drew a blank. "Nate, I'm sorry." Lucas finally sighed.

Nathan shrugged and got to his feet. "You're getting to be more and more like him. The scary thing is, you don't even see it. "

"What are you talking about?" Lucas demanded.

"If you don't do something about it soon, you'll be just like Dan." Nathan replied in a quiet voice. Then, he turned and walked away, leaving Lucas alone at the table.

Lucas sat alone at the table, pondering the events of the last half-hour. He finally determined that his brother was right: he needed to do something before he drove away the people he loved. He thought back to that night one beach when he first encountered Brooke. He felt lost that night; cynical about life. He felt alone. When he looked into Brooke's eyes for the first time that all changed. He felt she would be able to help him; he wasn't exactly sure how. But he couldn't ignore the fact that they were meant to meet for a reason. Maybe she could help him...and maybe he could help her, too.

* * *

Brooke sat on a bench in a secluded area behind the Arts building. She was surrounded by trees and shrubbery, shielded from the noise and laughter coming from the quad. The tears had subsided for now, but Brooke wasn't ready to leave the secluded spot, just yet. Haley and Rachel had called her cell a number of times, but she ignored their calls. She needed to be alone. Keeping up her facade was becoming exhausting and harder to bear. If Lucas' off-hand question about her parents' whereabouts triggered an emotional meltdown...Brooke sighed. Obviously, keeping everything locked up wasn't working. Everyone kept telling her to talk about how she felt, like it was so easy. No one understood how hard it was for her to talk about these things. Brooke Davis was strong, beautiful and brave – at least that's what everyone thought. She couldn't bear to let anyone see the truth; she was weak, broken and scared. She lay down on the bench and closed her eyes, trying to hold back a fresh torrent of tears.

"Hey," a familiar voice said, quietly.

Brooke opened her eyes and quickly sat up, wiping her eyes. Lucas stood a few feet away, his hands stuffed in his pockets, gazing at her with the same worried frown he wore earlier. "Hi." She replied, almost shyly. "How did you find me?"

"I, uh, kind of showed up early for my next class, so I was going to find somewhere quiet to think about some things...and I heard you. Crying, I mean." Lucas admitted, shuffling his feet.

"Oh." Brooke stared down at the ground, mortified. She hadn't cried in front of another person since she was a small child. "Do you think anyone else heard?"

"I don't think so. There aren't too many people hiding over here. Just us." Lucas ran his hand through his hair. "Do you mind if I sit?"

Brooke shook her head and slid over, making room for him. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground. It was bad enough he heard her bawling like a baby - she didn't want him to see her red, puffy eyes. Or, more importantly, she didn't want him to see her vulnerable side. She didn't want anyone to see it.

Lucas sat down beside her and gazed at her. "I'm really sorry." He hesitated, not sure what he should say.

"For what?" Brooke asked, in a soft voice.

Lucas heaved a sigh. "For bringing up your parents like that. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Brooke shook her head. "Lucas, you didn't know."

Lucas squinted, and turned to meet Brooke's puzzled gaze. There was so much sorrow in those pretty eyes – he really didn't want to inflict anymore pain on her. "I'm kind of an ass at times. I don't want to be, I certainly don't mean to be...but more often than not, I end up acting like one." Lucas was silent for a moment. "I don't like the person I'm becoming, Brooke. I want to be a better man. I want to be happy; to love and be loved." His gaze dropped to the ground. "I don't want to be like _him_...my father." Lucas' voice had dropped to a whisper.

Brooke remained quiet, considering his words. She was surprised that he had revealed so much of himself to her – they barely knew each other. She tilted her head to the side. The boy sitting beside her was different from the Lucas Scott she'd heard so much about. This Lucas seemed unsure of himself, vulnerable; not at all like the confident, almost cocky, Lucas she met at lunch. Brooke reached over and took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Lucas raised his head and turned to face her. "You know, I've thought about you every single day for the last three months; and I dreamed about you most nights." A slow, shy smile crept across his face. "That night, when I looked into your eyes..." Lucas trailed off, unsure whether he should continue or not. Brooke smiled encouragingly and squeezed his hand, once again. "I felt something...something powerful, something I don't quite understand. I felt emotions that I've never felt before. It scared me, but at the same time, it felt _right_. I think we met for a reason." Lucas shook his head and laughed, softly. "I probably sound insane."

Brooke reached up with her free hand and stroked Lucas' cheek. He closed his eyes at her touch. "You're not insane, Luke." He opened his eyes, and Brooke's heart stopped beating for a split second. "I felt it, too."

Lucas' smile widened and Brooke couldn't help but notice how his features lit up. "So..."

"So?"

"Where do we go from here?" he murmured, eyes locked on hers.

Brooke shrugged and bit her lip. She still had her doubts; she wasn't sure if she could completely trust him. It was hard to reconcile Lucas Scott, man-whore extraordinaire, with the Lucas Scott who sat beside her right now. It was like he was two completely different people. But, she saw something in him – he was broken, just like she was. His eyes held the same sadness she'd observed the night they met. She believed him when he said he wanted to be a better person. She wanted to help him. She would be cautious, but she had a feeling Lucas Scott might just be worth it.

"I don't know...but, I can't wait to find out." Her eyes sparkled and she smiled up at him. "What do you say, Broody? Are you coming along for the ride?"

Lucas laughed and entwined his fingers with hers. "Absolutely."

Brooke bounced up and pulled Lucas to his feet. "I think you mentioned you have a class right away..."

"Yeah, Creative Writing." Lucas gazed down at their entwined fingers, with a smile on his face.

Brooke started laughing. "You're kidding."

Lucas' head jerked up, his eyes narrowing. "No, why?"

"I'm in that class, too, Broody." Her laughter faded and her expression grew sombre. "My counsellor thought it would be a good idea, you know, to get me to express my feelings or whatever." She frowned.

Lucas took her chin in his hand and tilted it up, so her gaze met his. "I'm glad we share that class, Pretty Girl. Writing is kind of a passion of mine."

"Really? I never knew that." Brooke couldn't hide the surprise in her tone.

"That's because no one knows, except for my Uncle Keith – and now, you." Lucas chuckled. "If this isn't fate, I don't know what is." He removed his hand from her chin and stroked her cheek. Brooke smiled, widely. "There it is...the smile I dreamed about." Lucas murmured.

Brooke just laughed.

"Come on, Cheery-girl. Let's go to class and write about our feelings and stuff." Lucas handed Brooke her bag and she slung it over her shoulder.

He still held her hand tightly as they emerged from their hiding spot and walked towards class. For the first time since her parents were taken from her, she felt optimistic, as if life might have more to offer than sadness and worry. And the boy walking beside her had everything to do with it.

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"_We're all the same and love is blind. The sun is gone before it shines...and I said, if the answer is no, can I change your mind?"_


	8. Could I Be Your Girl?

**Hi everyone. Sorry I've been so late with an update - work's been kicking my ass lately! Thankfully, summer's just around the corner and things should settle down a bit. This chapter is about two girls who aren't sure whether they're ready to fall in love. I wanted to show that Brooke is taking the decision on whether to let Lucas in very seriously - it'll happen, but not overnight. It seems a little short - but that's because I decided to split the humongous chapter I wrote into 2 parts. The next one should be up in the next couple of days once I finish it up. :)**

**Thanks for the reviews and the compliments for the last chapter. You guys make me blush! Hopefully, I continue to meet your expectations. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 8 – Could I Be Your Girl? **

"_Hide your heart under the bed and lock your secret drawer. Wash the angels from your hair; won't need them anymore. Love is a demon and you're the one he's coming for...Put a chair against the door and turn the lights down low. Write a letter to yourself; no one will ever know. Tell them all about the girl who just refused to fall..." – Jann Arden_

"Where the hell is she?" Haley muttered, checking her watch. "She's ten minutes late already. I told her 2:30 sharp. I need to be at the Cafe by four so I can cover for Karen."

"She'll be here." Nathan responded, reassuringly. He glanced over at Haley, who was leaning against the driver side door, impatiently drumming her fingers on the roof of the car. She wore a simple short-sleeved blouse and a denim skirt. Her shoulder-length reddish brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she barely wore any make-up, but at that moment, Nathan thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on. He tore his gaze away from her, taken aback by how easily that notion had entered his conscious thought.

"Do you think she's okay?" Haley's voice broke into his thoughts. She turned to face him, her brown eyes filled with concern. "She never did return any of my messages. I've never seen her that upset before."

Nathan put an arm around her and drew her close to him. "She's okay. Maybe she just needed some time. I don't think Brooke likes to show weakness."

"That reminds me of someone I know." Haley looked up at him, pointedly.

Nathan just laughed. They were quiet for a few moments. Nathan noticed that Haley hadn't yet pulled away from him. He felt comfortable with his arm around her; it was like they fit perfectly together. The thought made him smile.

At the beginning of the summer, she had been just Haley James. Smart, sarcastic, caring and honest; his brother's best friend who never hesitated to take him down a peg. He'd known Haley forever, but they hadn't exactly been close. He thought she was an obnoxious know-it-all and she thought he was an arrogant jerk. Whenever they were forced to share the same space, endless arguments broke out and each and every time, Lucas would unfortunately get caught between them. Haley never put up with his bullshit and she wasn't afraid of calling him on it. As they got older, they became friends of a sort – but the only thing they shared in common was Lucas.

With Lucas away, Nathan bore the brunt of his father's relentless ambition. Add in Dan's rage at Karen for sending Lucas away and Deb's increased prescription drug-use, life in the Scott household had been less than pleasant. He realized he was completely alone and it wasn't a good feeling. After Brooke's parents died, he, Haley, Jake and Rachel formed a tight group to support Brooke. He and Haley began to hang out more and more often and he realized that she was a good listener. Even though she couldn't really do much to solve his problems, it was good to have someone to talk to; someone he could trust. They became close friends and by the end of summer, Nathan realized that he was falling for her.

And he was terrified. Nathan had never been in love before. He preferred to play the field, never letting any girl get too close. He did not want to end up like his parents. They must have loved each other once and look what it led to – two embittered, twisted people caught in a sick relationship. If that's what love turned into, then he wanted no part of it. Besides, as if Hales would be interested in him. She'd probably fall for a fellow musician like that idiot in her band, Chris freaking Keller. He hated that guy and the way he looked at her. Unconsciously, Nathan pulled Haley even closer to him.

"What the fuck?" Haley exclaimed, angrily.

Nathan dropped his arm from her shoulders, startled. Shit, he must have crossed a line. "Huh?"

Haley heatedly gestured across the street. "Look, your brother's found himself a new playmate."

Nathan's grin returned. "So?" He followed Haley's gaze and his jaw dropped open. Lucas and Brooke were standing outside the coffee shop across the street. They were facing each other, talking. Then, Lucas pulled her into a hug and Nathan watched as his brother closed his eyes and buried his face in Brooke's hair. "Is he smelling her hair? What the fuck?"

"Exactly." Haley sighed, grimly. "I told him to leave her alone. He caused enough damage at lunch...why the hell are they still hugging?"

Nathan shrugged. "Maybe he's apologizing?" He tried to keep his tone light, but even he could see there was more to the hug than that. Lucas and Brooke finally broke apart and Nathan couldn't help but smile at the goofy grins on their faces. Lucas turned to leave and Brooke stared after him. "Maybe he likes her..."

Haley shook her head. "When's the last time Lucas _liked_ anyone?"

"What about Lindsay?"

Haley snorted. "Whatever – that was in high school and the only reason he kept her around was because she gave good head."

Nathan just stared at Haley. "You guys actually talk about that stuff?"

Haley blushed under Nathan's gaze. "Well, no. It kind of slipped one night when he was drunk. We were playing _I Never. _I was appropriately disgusted and appalled_._"

"That game always ends badly." Nathan chuckled.

Haley's blush deepened and she let out a small laugh. "Tell me about it..."

"You're cute when you're all embarrassed." Nathan teased.

Haley shoved him, lightly. "Oh, shut up."

Nathan smirked at her and before she could react, he grabbed her around the waist and began tickling her left side.

"Oh, god, Nathan!" Haley shrieked, trying to struggle out of his grasp, kicking her feet.

"Well, well, well. Looks like you two are engaged in some pretty heavy duty foreplay." They looked up to see Brooke standing right in front of them, smirking. "Should I come back later?"

Nathan immediately let go of Haley, who stumbled slightly at the sudden release of his grip. "We're just messing around."

"Mmmmhmm...if you say so." Brooke raised an eyebrow at them. "Come on, Hales. Let's get going. See you tomorrow, Nate."

"Later, Davis." Nathan gave a small wave to his friend.

Brooke winked at him before getting into the car.

"So, I guess I'll call you later." Haley smiled up at Nathan, a faint blush still coloring her features.

Nathan nodded. "Sounds good to me. Maybe we can hang out, just you and me, later this week. I miss hanging out with you – alone."

"Me too," Haley sighed. "See you."

"Bye Hales." Nathan was tempted to lean down and kiss her. He looked deep into her brown eyes, trying to read her expression. She leaned closer to him and he bent his head down towards hers. She closed her eyes and Nathan leaned in so his lips were just inches apart when a loud car horn shattered the moment.

Haley's eyes flew open and she hastily backed away from Nathan. "Oh, um...I better go."

Nathan looked inside the car and found Brooke smirking at them. He glared at her in return. "Yeah, you don't want to be late." He reached out and touched her arm, lightly. "Call me."

Haley just nodded, giving him a small smile as she got into the car. She and Brooke waved at him as they pulled away. Nathan watched them drive off, before turning and walking towards his dormitory.

"So what was that all about?" Brooke asked Haley as they drove towards Tree Hill.

"What was what all about?" Blushing, Haley shot a quick glance at her friend.

Brooke rolled her eyes and laughed. "You and Nathan. He looked like he was going to kiss you."

Haley gripped the steering wheel. 'What? No, he wasn't!"

"I think – no - I _know_ he was...about time, too." Brooke leaned forward and turned up the air conditioning. "It's so hot in here. Is this normal? I don't remember it being so hot last fall."

"Brooke, I don't like Nate that way. We're just friends." Haley insisted.

Brooke turned and looked at her. "I think we both know there's something more to it than that. I've seen the way you two look at each other. And he talks about you all the time. In a weird way, I think you guys would make a cute couple."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, me, Nate and his thirty-seven other _girlfriends_." She shot back sarcastically.

"He's changed, Hales. He hasn't hooked up with anyone in ages." Brooke maintained.

Haley shrugged uncomfortably. "Whatever. Just drop it." She muttered. The two friends were quiet for a minute while Brooke fiddled with the radio. "So, what about you and Lucas?"

Brooke froze for a split second before she smiled. "What about me and Lucas?"

"Well, you guys were all flirty at lunch and Nate and I saw you two hugging just now. And he was smelling your hair."

"He was not!" Brooke exclaimed, her dimples deepening as her smile widened.

Haley caught Brooke's smile and shook her head. "I hope you know what you're doing, Brooke."

"We're just friends. Just like you and Nathan." She replied, smirking as Haley's eyes widened. "He apologized for the thing at lunch and we have a class together. It's no biggie." Brooke shrugged and gazed out the window at the passing scenery. The two friends were quiet for a couple of minutes. "Hales, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"All of those stories...about Lucas. Are they all true?"

Haley shook her head and shot Brooke a quick glance. "I hate to say this about my best friend, Brooke. Some of it might be exaggerated for dramatic effect, but for the most part, it's all unfortunately true. He's always disappointed me with the way he treats women and the drinking. I'm amazed he hasn't caught an STD or knocked anyone up yet." Haley heaved a frustrated sigh. "And he can be a real self-centered ass. At the same time, he's my Luke. I've known him since we're five years-old. I just can't believe the sweet little boy I grew up with has become so jaded."

Brooke nodded thoughtfully. She hesitated for a moment, debating on whether it was her place to reveal even a small part of what Lucas had told her. Maybe it would set Haley at ease. "He told me about his dad today. That he doesn't want to end up like him. He's scared of losing everyone he loves by acting like an ass."

Haley stared at her in disbelief. "He told you those things?"

Brooke nodded. "Yeah."

Haley couldn't hide her surprise. "Wow. He's never really confided in anyone about his issues other than me or Nate...and he doesn't really talk to me very much about it. How did all this come up?"

Brooke looked away and stared out the window again. She wasn't ready to tell anyone about how she and Lucas had actually met...and she couldn't explain to herself, much less Haley, what made Lucas confide in her. "I think he felt bad about what he said at lunch and he wanted to apologize." Brooke bit her lip, nervously. "I like him." She added, in a soft voice.

Haley's heart sank, slightly. Lucas had a way of making women fall in love with him; she thought Brooke would be immune to his charms. She didn't want her Tigger to get hurt – she was already breaking apart from losing her parents. But what Lucas revealed to Brooke didn't seem like a line; it was almost like he was trying to let her in.

Haley concentrated on the road, as she thought about Lucas and Brooke together. She had to admit, she could see the chemistry between the two at lunch. You'd have to be blind not to notice. But could Lucas be trusted not to break Brooke's heart? Haley wasn't so certain.

For once, Haley wasn't sure what to do. She was torn between protecting Brooke and hoping that Lucas might be changing, at long last. Maybe Brooke would be the one to finally bring out the best in him. She finally decided to back off, for now. She intended on keeping a close eye on them and if Lucas did anything to hurt Brooke...then he would deal with the wrath of Haley James.

As for her own feelings towards her best friend's brother, Haley was even more confused. She liked Nathan; she liked him a lot, more than she should. Brooke had been right about one thing: he _was_ trying to kiss her. Nathan Scott wanted to kiss _her _– Haley James! It made no sense...except that it made perfect sense. Haley sighed, quietly. How could she be sure Nathan liked her; _really_ liked her? Did he see her as a fling? Then it occurred to her – if Nathan messed with her, Luke would kick his ass. There's no way he'd be messing with her just to be mean – it would be incredible stupid. It wouldn't be worth it. Which meant...oh my god, Nathan really did like her. Haley groaned inwardly. Now what?

"_He's bringing sweet salvation; let temptation take him in. He's every fear, every hope and every single sin. He's the universe; the love you've been imagining. Oh, my lord..."_


	9. For the Moment

**Here is the rest of the huge chapter I promised earlier in the week. I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think...**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – For the Moment**

"_I'm afraid with you there could be no escape. I have no faith; I've seen truth and reason down the drain. But I cling to you for survival and I know that you are my bible. I'm scared, for the moment, but I know you'll be there.  
Well, I'm scared for the moment, but I know you'll be there. By the way, things you say freak me out - I go out of my head. I feel no shame when I turn my back and I walk away. But, I cling to you for survival and I know that you are my bible..." - Gob_

Brooke heaved a sigh and flopped down in a chair at the kitchen table. "Oh my god, Karen. I had no idea making a simple lasagne could be so hard! I thought you were going to start me off on something easy."

Karen just laughed and patted Brooke on the shoulder. "Well, you're doing just fine. You've got 45 minutes to relax while the lasagne bakes."

Brooke just nodded. "Thank you, Karen. For doing all this...I know I'm pretty much a disaster in the kitchen."

After Haley dropped her off at home, Brooke had gone to pick up the girls from school and come straight to Karen's house since Jeremy had basketball practice. After Brooke's parents died, Karen began inviting the Davis children over for dinner every Monday night at the cafe she owned. Upon hearing that no one, other than Katie, knew how to cook anything outside of ordering a pizza, Karen's dinners morphed into cooking lessons. Sam and Jeremy already had their turn – now it was Brooke's. After an unfortunate incident with a bagel toaster that lead to a visit from the Fire Department at the café over the weekend, Karen decided it would be best to host Brooke's lesson at her house. And Karen didn't mind having the five Davis children invading her home for the evening. Ever since Lucas had left to go to college, the house had felt much too empty.

"It's no trouble at all, Brooke. Luckily, my fire insurance is up-to-date." Karen winked at her.

Brooke groaned and rested her chin on her hand. She glanced over at Katie who was writing in her notebook, not paying any attention to her surroundings and sighed. As soon as they'd arrived at Karen's, Katie sat down at the kitchen table, pulled out her notebook and began writing. She was completely zoned out; her green eyes focused on the page in front of her, words flowing from her pen so quickly it looked like her hand was flying across the page. She hadn't even looked up when Brooke had burnt the first batch of tomato sauce, setting off the smoke detector. Brooke could only envy her sister's focus.

Karen smiled, leaning towards Brooke. "She reminds me of my Lucas when she's writing like that. He used to get so involved in whatever he was writing, that he would lose track of time. There were so many times I would find him still awake in the middle of the night scribbling in notebooks – just like Katie."

Brooke returned Karen's smile. "Did he always love to write?"

"Ever since he was small. He used to make up stories with his drawing and tell me what the words should be – and I would write them in for him until he learned to write, himself." Karen recalled. "I'm sure I still have some of those little booklets lying around somewhere...Maybe I could show them to you all later if I can remember where I stashed them."

Brooke giggled, picturing the look on Lucas' face if he knew what was going on. Good thing he was forty-five minutes away and had no idea what his mother was planning for some after-dinner entertainment.

* * *

Lucas pulled up to his mother's house, surprised to see two strange vehicles parked in the driveway – a powder blue Volkswagen Beetle and a black Jeep. It hadn't occurred to him that his mother would have company on a Monday night. He wondered if he should have called, first. After practice, he'd impulsively decided to come home for the night. Nathan was still pissed at him and Lucas didn't feel like dealing with his brother's silent treatment. He missed his mom and their talks. Nathan's harsh words at lunchtime still bothered him. He needed reassurance that he wasn't turning into Dan and his mom was one of the few people he could trust to talk about this deep-seated fear. Lucas parked his red Mustang on the street and walked up the front sidewalk.

Lucas stopped short, seeing a teenage boy lounging on the front steps wearing ripped jeans and a Ravens t-shirt. He frowned, puzzled. The boy hadn't noticed him yet; he was engrossed in texting someone on his cell phone. He looked somewhat familiar, but Lucas couldn't quite place him. What was this kid doing at his mom's house?

"Hey." Lucas greeted him, as he approached the steps.

The boy looked up and met his gaze. He looked Lucas up and down before breaking into a smile, complete with dimples. "Hey. Lucas, right?"

Lucas felt disconcerted; the boy's grin reminded him of Brooke's smile. "Yeah. And you are?"

"Jeremy Davis. It`s nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you; Coach talks about you all the time." He spoke in admiring tone.

"Oh, so you're a Raven." Lucas returned Jeremy's grin.

Jeremy shrugged with false modesty. "Not just any Raven – I'm the captain."

Lucas nodded. Now he remembered where he'd seen Jeremy before. He'd attended a game with Dan and Nathan when he came home for a visit last winter. Everyone in the gym had their eyes on this kid. He was phenomenal. "My brother and I were co-captains. We'll have to play one-on-one sometime at the rivercourt. You know, captain vs. captain."

Jeremy smirked. "You mean captain vs. _co_-captain."

Lucas laughed. "Don't get hung up on semantics. I look forward to wiping the court with your ass."

"Yeah, well I can't wait to smash your scoring record to smithereens this season. Came within 4 points last year." Jeremy replied, his smirk growing wider.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did hit it this year. I've seen you play. You're good – almost as good as me." Lucas sat down beside him. "So why are you here? Did my mom adopt you or something?"

Jeremy shook his head. "It's Monday, dude. My family always eats with your mom on Mondays. Plus she started giving us cooking lessons. I think she's worried we'll starve or something." Jeremy ran his fingers through his tangled locks and chuckled. "Although she does have point – Brooke's pretty damn hopeless in the kitchen. Let's just hope she doesn't burn down your mom's house before dinner. I'm sitting out here because the smoke still hasn't cleared up from earlier."

"Brooke? Is she your sister?" Now that he thought about it, he could see the resemblance – the hair, the smile, the dimples, and the confident attitude.

Jeremy's cell phone rang, interrupting them. "Sorry, man. Gotta take this one." Jeremy flipped his phone open. "Hey, babe..." he got up and wandered off to the other side of the porch.

Lucas' heart began to pound. Brooke Davis was here, in his house with her family. Getting cooking lessons from his mother. "Holy shit." He whispered.

"Excuse me, but you owe me a dollar."

Lucas turned and was startled to see a mini-version of Brooke staring at him disapprovingly, with her arms crossed over her chest and tapping her foot impatiently. "Um...why?"

The girl rolled her eyes at him and huffed. "Because you said the s-word. Well, one of them. There are a lot of bad words that start with 's' and you just said the worst one."

Lucas blinked at her, trying to decide if she was for real. "Sorry?"

The girl tilted her head to the side and bit her lip. "You're Lucas. I've seen pictures of you. You look much more handsome in person; but I think you'd look even better if you shaved. You're looking kind of scruffy."

"Thanks, I think?" Lucas squinted at her. "What's your name?"

"I'm Tessa Davis." Tessa arched her eyebrow. "I guess I can forget about the dollar this time...seeing as your Karen's son and she's really nice to us."

Lucas swallowed his laughter and smiled at her. This girl's attitude was just too much. "That's really sweet of you, Tessa."

Tessa beamed and once again, Lucas' breath was taken away by how much she resembled her older sister. "You should come inside. Karen wants the table set and you can help me since Jeremy's too busy talking to his _girlfriend_." Tessa spun around and flounced back into the house.

Lucas got to his feet and followed Tessa inside, an amused expression on his face. He was startled to see a sullen teenager sitting on the couch, watching _Rock of Love_ with a sneer on her face. The volume was on mute and when she shook her head in disgust at the bikini-clad contestants wrestling in green jello. Lucas could see red earphones in her ears. Even though she had brown hair and hazel eyes, this girl didn't remind him of Brooke – she reminded him of his half-sister, Peyton. The heavy eyeliner, the black nail polish, the t-shirt with a skull on it and the scowl on her pretty face. No wonder those two got along so well. They looked like the same person.

Tessa caught him staring at her sister in confusion. "That's Sam. She's grouchy. I wouldn't get too close if I were you."

"Why is she watching TV and listening to her iPod? Any why _Rock of Love_?" Lucas asked, bewildered.

Tessa shrugged. "Why does she do anything? She's a weirdie."

Just then, Karen entered the room. "Tessa, honey, have you and Jeremy set the table yet?" She stopped short when she saw Lucas. "Lucas! I wasn't expecting you!" Karen enveloped her son in a hug. "What are you doing home?"

Lucas kissed his mother on the cheek. "Just decided to stop by. I guess I should have called, first. I didn't think you'd have company."

Karen stepped back from her son's embrace and smiled. "Don't be silly, my boy. You know the door's always open for you. Why don't you go in the kitchen and make a salad while we set the table? I'm sure Brooke could use a break from cooking. The poor girl's had a traumatic day."

"Yeah, she burnt the sauce and the smoke alarm went off." Tessa piped in. "And last week, she almost burned down the café. Making toast."

Lucas' eyes widened. "Seriously?"

Karen waved away his concern. "It was a bagel toaster-related incident. Luckily Haley was close by with the fire extinguisher."

Tessa shook her head. "Yes, we are all very thankful for Haley James."

Lucas laughed, as his mother plucked Sam's earphones out of her ears and turned off the TV, ordering her to help set the table. Lucas turned and walked down the hall to the kitchen. He leaned against the doorway watching Brooke as she struggled with the salad spinner. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she tried to take the lid off and he could hear her mumbling to herself under her breath. She paused and sighed deeply, wiping her forehead. "Why is this so hard?" she moaned, burying her face in her hands as she leaned over the kitchen sink.

Lucas stepped forward, standing just behind her. He leaned forward slightly, inhaling the scent of her vanilla shampoo. Man, she smelled_ good_. He raised his hand, reaching for her; aching to touch her. A small, almost imperceptible gasp startled him and he quickly lowered his hand. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see yet another teenage girl sitting at the table writing in a notebook. She seemed oblivious to her surroundings as she wrote without hesitation. He turned away from her, catching a brief glimpse of sparkling green eyes staring at him intently. Lucas glanced back again and her head was bent over her notebook, face hidden by a curtain of strawberry blonde hair. Lucas squinted – maybe it was his imagination?

Lucas leaned against the counter beside Brooke. "Bad day?"

Brooke's head shot up at the sound of his voice. "Lucas! I wasn't expecting you. Well, of course it's your mom's house and why shouldn't you come over? It must look kind of weird that I'm here in your kitchen, cooking and I hope you don't think I'm a stalker or something and oh my god – I almost burnt down your house! And my entire family is here-" Brooke's cheeks flushed as she rambled on.

"It's fine, Pretty Girl. I don't mind seeing you in my house at all." Lucas smiled at Brooke reassuringly and took the salad spinner out of her hands. "My mom told me to help you with the salad. She said you need a break." Lucas lifted the lid off the salad spinner and shook the excess water from the leaves.

Brooke returned the smile nervously. "She's a wise woman." Brooke handed him a salad bowl and watched as he ripped up the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. "So, what brought you back home? No wild parties tonight?"

Lucas shrugged. "Just didn't feel like staying on campus. I kind of wanted to spend time with my mom."

"Oh...I'm so sorry; we're totally interfering." Brooke apologized.

"Brooke, I said it was fine. Don't worry about it." Lucas dried his hands with a towel and asked Brooke to pass him a cucumber, a couple of tomatoes and a yellow pepper.

She watched as he began chopping, the blade of the knife slicing rapidly through the cucumber. Brooke was impressed; he looked like one of those chef-guys on the Food Network shows Katie loved to watch. "So, did you meet everyone yet?"

Lucas smiled, keeping his eyes on the vegetables he was chopping. "Well, I didn't actually meet Sam, but Tessa pointed her out to me. I talked basketball with Jeremy for a few minutes out front."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Of course. That's all he talks about – other than cars and chicks." Lucas chuckled and they both turned, hearing a snort behind them. Katie was still seemingly absorbed in her writing. Brooke lowered her voice to a whisper. "So, I take it you haven't met Katie, yet."

Lucas glanced at the strawberry blonde sitting at the table and returned his gaze to Brooke. "No, not yet."

Brooke smiled and winked at him. "You see the gorgeous girl sitting over there? The one with the beautiful hair and stunning green eyes pretending to ignore us?" Brooke held back a laugh as Katie's cheeks reddened.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah?"

"This is my sister, Sam's twin, Katherine." Brooke smirked as Katie finally dropped her pen and raised her head to face Brooke and Lucas.

"Everyone calls me Katie or Kate. I am so not a Katherine." Katie's blushed deepened, as she glared slightly at her older sister. "I really hate that name."

Brooke gave her sister a hug. "I know, but at least I finally got you to tear yourself away from your latest masterpiece. I wanted your undivided attention while I introduce you to Lucas, Karen's son."

Katie turned her gaze towards Lucas and nodded. "You're Peyton's brother. She talks about you all the time." She tilted her head to the side. "I was over at her place the day your dad found out you were ending your scholastic career in New York."

Lucas' mouth went dry and his eyes narrowed, slightly. He could imagine what Dan's reaction had been at the news of him flunking out. But why was Brooke's sister bringing this up? He didn't know how to react to this girl who seemed to _know_ things. He began to wonder if she really was as oblivious to her surroundings as she appeared. "Oh. That must have been..." Lucas trailed off, unsure which adjective to use.

"Explosive?" Katie offered, with a raised eyebrow.

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Something like that."

Katie closed her notebook and stretched. "I'm going to wash up for dinner. Nice to meet you, Lucas." She got to her feet and grabbed her notebook before leaving the kitchen.

Brooke smiled as Katie left the room. Even though her brief conversation with Lucas was weird, she was still proud of her sister for overcoming her shyness and uttering more than two words to Lucas. She glanced over at Lucas and her smile faded as she noticed the stormy expression in his eyes. His jaw was clenched and his bright blue eyes had darkened to a navy tone – they looked almost black. Brooke was a little frightened at how quickly his mood had changed. He turned away as she started towards him, focusing on assembling the salad.

"Hey, are you okay?" Brooke stood beside him, her arm nearly brushing his. She tentatively reached over to touch his arm. Lucas tensed up and took a step away from her. Brooke lowered her hand and dropped her gaze, confused. She fixed her gaze at the counter, trying to hide the hurt she was feeling at his rejection.

"You don't know me." Lucas said in a low voice, moving closer to her.

Brooke looked up, surprised to see him standing so closely to her that her breasts were lightly touching his chest. She tried to move backwards, but found that her back was already pressed against the counter. She swallowed hard. "I want to know you," she murmured in response. She looked up at him searchingly, trying to read the expression in his eyes. He had closed himself off to her – she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Lucas leaned in even closer, putting one hand on each side of her, effectively trapping her against the counter. "No, you don't. I've done a lot things I'm not proud of, Brooke. Haley's right – I'm not good enough for you."

Brooke closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. It was intoxicating; she just wanted to jump him right then and there. "I think I'm perfectly able to judge what's good for me." She opened her eyes and saw a hint of a smile cross his lips.

Lucas reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She shivered at his touch. "I want you, Pretty Girl. I want you more than I've ever wanted any other girl and it scares me. It scares me that you won't want anything to do with me."

Brooke locked her eyes on his. "I've been told so many things about you, Lucas. Yet, I'm still here. I want you, too – the real you. I want you so so much...but I'm scared, too. I'm scared of getting hurt."

"I don't want to hurt you." Lucas whispered.

They stared at each other for a few moments, the kitchen silent except for their breathing. Brooke could feel Lucas' heart pounding against her own chest. Just like that night on the beach, they were lost in each other's eyes, drinking each other in. Lucas leaned forward, his lips nearly brushing hers. Brooke parted her lips in anticipation. She'd been dying to kiss him again for three months. Just as their lips were about to meet, the timer on the oven went off. They backed away from each other, as Tessa and Karen came into the kitchen, followed by Sam, Katie and Jeremy.

"Yay! Dinner's ready!" Tessa exclaimed, excitedly.

Brooke was still flushed from her encounter with Lucas. "I just hope it tastes good," she commented, still staring at Lucas.

Karen had pulled the lasagne from the oven and placed it on top of the stove to cool. "Well, it looks good, Brooke. I'm sure it'll be delicious."

"The kitchen's still standing, B. That's a real good sign." Jeremy reached over to ruffle his older sister's hair.

"Dude, stop it! Leave the hair!" Brooke whined.

Sam rolled her eyes and grabbed the basket of garlic bread. "Like it wasn't a hot mess to begin with."

"Samantha Florence Davis! My hair is never a hot mess and you know it!" Brooke shot back.

"Chill out, Penelope. I was just kidding. God!" Samantha huffed, rolling her eyes again as she stomped out into the dining room.

'_Penelope_?' Lucas mouthed at Brooke, looking amused. Brooke just shook her head, firmly.

"I'll take the salad!" Tessa said, cheerfully. "Brookie, your hair is always gorgeous. Don't listen to Grouchy." Lucas handed Tessa the salad, watching as she practically bounced from the room, dropping a few pieces of lettuce as she went.

"Tessa, you're dropping lettuce everywhere!" Katie scurried after her, picking up the pieces that Tessa dropped on the floor.

"I'll bring out the wine." Jeremy smirked.

Karen looked at him, sternly. "I don't think so, mister."

Jeremy grinned, his dimples deepening. "Just testing you, Ms. Roe. I'll bring out a pitcher of wholesome, non-alcoholic iced tea...if you slip a shot of whiskey in my glass."

"Jeremy Glendon Davis!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Jeez, B. You're sure getting heavy use out of the middle names today, aren't we? I was joking around! Karen knows I am a model student and upstanding citizen." Jeremy winked at Karen, who was laughing at his antics.

Lucas moved closer to Brooke. "Is your brother flirting with my mom?" he asked in a low voice.

Brooke giggled. "Ew! I hope not! What can I say? He's got the Davis charm."

Lucas just smirked in response.

Jeremy took the pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and left the room, nearly colliding with Katie. "Careful, Katherine. You were almost wearing the iced tea, then we'd have to go through dinner thirsty and it would be all your fault."

"Sorry, Jeremy. I'm so sorry, Karen!" she exclaimed anxiously, returning to the kitchen to dispose of the vegetable pieces that Tessa had dropped.

"Katie, it's okay. No harm was done." Karen said, soothingly. She shot a questioning look at Brooke.

"None of it landed on the carpet, so there were no stains or anything." Katie insisted, her eyes filling with tears.

Brooke frowned, slightly. There was a marked change in Katie's attitude over the last few minutes. She went from being somewhat friendly and teasing towards Lucas to acting like a few pieces of dropped salad on the floor led to the end of the end of the world. Brooke rubbed her sister's back, reassuringly. "Karen said it was okay, sweetie. Besides, it wasn't your fault – Tessa got too excited. I'll tell her to be more careful next time."

Without warning, Katie launched threw herself into Brooke's arms so forcefully, the older girl stumbled backwards. Brooke hugged her sister tightly as she began sobbing into Brooke's neck. "I'm trying so hard and I keep screwing it up!" Katie wailed.

Brooke looked over Katie's shoulder to see Karen and Lucas staring at them, wide-eyed. Brooke widened her own eyes, showing that she was just as taken aback as they were. "Katie, honey, you're not screwing anything up. Please don't cry..."

Karen seemed to give herself a mental shake and turned to her son. "Lucas, take the lasagne out to the table and you guys can all go ahead and start eating. Brooke and I will take Katie to your room to lie down for a bit, if that's okay with you."

Lucas nodded. "No problem, Ma." Lucas picked up the casserole and left the room, throwing a sympathetic glance at Brooke, who looked completely overwhelmed.

Karen and Brooke led Katie into Lucas' room and laid her down on the bed. Katie's crying had only gotten more intense and she insisted that Brooke lie down with her. Brooke climbed into bed beside her sister, feeling completely helpless. She didn't know how to fix this; hell, she had no idea what had even brought it on. Karen nodded at Brooke and left the room, returning moments later with a glass of water and a small white tablet.

"Here, sweetheart. Take this and put it under your tongue until it dissolves and have a drink of water. You'll feel better." Karen said, gently.

Katie nodded, her sobs subsiding slightly as she followed Karen's instructions. Within minutes, Katie relaxed and was drifting off to sleep.

"What did you give her?" Brooke asked in wonder.

"Ativan. It's an anti-anxiety medication. I use it whenever I have to fly." Karen shuddered, involuntarily. "I'm not a big advocate for drugging people up, but she was hysterical, Brooke."

Brooke sighed, as she gently extracted herself from Katie's grip as sat on the edge of the bed. "I know..."

"I think you need to take her to a doctor." Karen said, firmly. "And get a referral for a psychologist."

"What?" Brooke's eyes widened. "Katie's not crazy!" she hissed.

Karen placed a hand on her arm. "I'm not saying that she's crazy. But she needs help. She's tense and stressed and she is withdrawing – I mean, look at this afternoon, Brooke. She barely paid any attention to anything. It's like she gets lost in her fantasy world and then she can't deal with reality."

"It's been hard for her; it's been so hard for all of us, Karen. Katie just needs more time." Brooke maintained, stubbornly. "Besides, earlier, you thought it was cute how intense she got about writing. You said it reminded you of Lucas."

"Brooke." Karen said her name gently but firmly. "I'm trying to help you. And whatever's going on with Katie is too much for you to manage on your own. I'll see if I can get Deb to cover your shift tomorrow so you can take her to the doctor."

Brooke hesitated, staring off into space for a moment. She remembered how Katie said she wished she was dead instead of their parents. That she would never be okay again. Her sister was hurting and she was scared. She had no idea how to handle this. She was only nineteen for God's sake!

Brooke leaned forward and rested her forehead in her hands. At that moment, she was angry, no furious, with her parents. How could they leave her behind to handle this by herself? She should be out at some frat party celebrating the start of her sophomore year at Duke with her friends, not watching her little sister have some sort of a breakdown and getting cooking lessons from her boss so her family wouldn't starve. Brooke sighed, angrily.

"I just don't know what to do," she said, finally.

Karen sat down beside Brooke and drew her into a hug. "I'll come with you, if you want me to."

Brooke nodded. "Please?"

"Of course." Karen gave Brooke a kiss on the top of her head and rubbed her back. "Why don't we go get something to eat and leave Katie to rest?"

Brooke nodded, again. She took one last glance at her sister, sleeping peacefully on Lucas' bed before following Karen out of the room.

* * *

Dinner passed fairly pleasantly. As soon as Brooke and Karen returned to the table, Sam asked to be excused so she could check on her twin. Tessa chattered non-stop to Karen about her first day of middle school and Jeremy and Lucas talked basketball while Brooke picked at her food. The lasagne turned out well – Jeremy and Lucas even helped themselves to seconds and thirds.

After they finished, Brooke went back to Lucas' room to check on the twins. She knocked quietly and when there was no answer, she pushed the door open a crack to see Sam and Katie lying face to face on the bed, cuddled up in a tangle of arms and legs. Just like when they were babies. It didn't escape Brooke's notice that Sam's arms were wrapped tightly around her twin. Brooke quietly shut the door behind her and walked down the hallway to the kitchen. She could see Tessa sitting at the kitchen table doing her homework under Karen's supervision, while Lucas and Jeremy washed the dishes. Everyone looked up as she entered the room.

"How are they?" Karen asked, concerned.

"Asleep." Brooke replied. "I guess I'll let them sleep a little longer...then we should get going. It's been kind of a long day."

"I'll wake them up once we're done cleaning." Jeremy offered.

Brooke just nodded wearily and left the room. She found herself on the front porch, staring up at the sky. Throughout dinner, she was thinking of all the possible explanations for what could be wrong with Katie. She hoped that it wasn't too serious; what if they wanted to lock her up in some horrible mental institution like in _Girl, Interrupted_?

She leaned against the porch railing and sighed. She wondered if her parents were out there somewhere, watching over them. Would they be disappointed in her for not taking proper care of Katie? Brooke ran her fingers through her hair. She knew her parents loved her, but they thought she didn't take things seriously. They always tried to encourage her to think about the future and decide what she wanted to do with her life, but Brooke could never see past the next party or dance or weekend. She was trying so hard to be the responsible girl they would be proud of...but she still felt like she failed Katie and by extension, her parents.

Maybe she needed to reassess her priorities. Her family needed to come first. Brooke nodded to herself. As much as it pained her, for now, Lucas could only be a friend. This was no time for her to be even contemplating getting into a relationship with anyone, much less someone like Lucas Scott. She only hoped he would understand.

Brooke was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that she was no longer alone until Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist. She closed her eyes and leaned against his strong chest.

"How are you holding up, Pretty Girl?" Lucas whispered in her ear.

Brooke sighed. "Not very well."

Lucas' arms tightened around her. "The girls are awake. Jeremy's helping them get their things together."

She nodded. "Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm worried about Katie. What happened in the kitchen scared me. I'm supposed to be taking care of her; and I never even noticed that anything was wrong. Well, I mean, I noticed...but I didn't take it seriously." Brooke bit her lip. "She needs to come first – all of them, they need to come first."

"What are you saying, Brooke?" Lucas turned her around so she was facing him. Her hazel eyes were filled with tears. He could barely stand to see the sad expression on her face.

"I think we need to slow down...I still want you and I want to know you, Lucas. But, I think it's better if we try to be friends, first and go from there," she whispered.

Lucas squinted at her and frowned. "Friends..." he muttered. "I don't know if I can be just friends with you, Pretty Girl."

Brooke took his hand in hers. "We barely know each other, and we're both kind of screwed up."

Lucas allowed a small smile. "True." He was quiet for a minute, considering what she had said.

It was hard to argue with her logic. He understood where she was coming from – she needed to put her family's needs ahead of her own wants. If he wanted to prove himself to her, that he wanted to be a better person, this was his chance. He always rushed into sleeping with girls, without caring one bit about them. With Brooke, he cared...he cared _a lot_ and he didn't want to fuck it up. If this had happened before the summer, he would have either kissed her until she caved and agreed to fuck him, or he would have walked away without a backwards glance. He knew something had shifted deep within himself over the last few weeks – those options didn't occur to him. He would never admit to anyone, but he was tired of the endless hook-ups and having a reputation as a player. Ever since his Pretty Girl came into his life, she was the only woman he truly wanted. He was willing to work for her because she was worth it. It would be hard, but Lucas Scott never backed down from a challenge. Haley would be forced to eat her words – he was going to prove that he was good enough for Brooke Davis.

Lucas smiled and looked into Brooke's eyes. "I can do this...I've never gone slow with a girl, before and the only girls I'm friends with are Haley and Rachel. But, I'm willing to try."

Brooke returned his smile. "Broody, it'll be so worth it..."

"Oh, I know it will be." Lucas pulled her towards him and gave her a tender hug. "I'm the guy for you, Brooke Davis. You'll see," he whispered in her ear.

Brooke relaxed into his embrace, knowing that being _just friends_ was going to be hard – she was already falling fast and hard for him. She didn't know if she would be able to resist him for too long. Still, she had to protect her heart – she did not want to be just another notch on his bedpost. She wanted much more from him and she knew that he wasn't ready for that yet. She could wait...but would Lucas be able to?


	10. Everybody's Broken

**Hi everyone! Sorry I've taken so long with updating this story – I had major writer's block and wasn't really sure what direction to take. Finally, while on holidays, I got a sudden burst of inspiration. Hooray! I'm going to try and have another chapter or two up before the end of the month to make up for the looong dry spell.**

**Shout-outs to _StarsShine28, SouthernBellBrooke, ljaxon, Julchen1515, Leah, Love me some Julian _and _dianehermans_ for your reviews and encouragement. They helped more than you know...**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Everybody's Broken**

_"Step into the deep end, make yourself at home. When you wonder why you're breathing, know you're not alone. It's so hard to believe. What's easier to doubt? You're trying to hold in what you're dying to scream out… Take a look around; tell me what you see. Is who you think you are who you want to be?" – Bon Jovi_

"Lucas Scott, stop gawking at those cheerleaders! You just missed an easy pass!" Lucas snapped his attention over to the coach, who was glaring at him from the sidelines. "Get your head in the game, son and fast! Our first game's next week and I need you to be at your best!"

"Sorry, Coach." Lucas apologized, feeling the back of his neck redden. He caught Nathan smirking at him out of the corner of his eye and cursed under his breath.

"Don't let it happen, again." The coach blew his whistle. "Alright ladies, that's enough for today – hit the showers. Some of you better be taking some cold ones!"

Lucas groaned as his teammates began laughing at him.

Two days ago, Brooke re-joined the cheerleading squad and he was having a hard time focusing on anything remotely related to basketball. Before, basketball served as an escape from his constant thoughts of her – it was the one place he could temporarily forget about his Pretty Girl and his raging desire for her. Basketball had been keeping him somewhat sane over the past few days; after he'd promised her that they could take things slow. But, as soon as she'd walked into the gym today wearing a tight blue tank top and tiny shorts that left little to the imagination, all logical thought drained away and he had to fight an overwhelming urge to throw her up against the wall and do all sorts of dirty things to her. And his game was suffering for it.

Lucas jogged back over to the bench and grabbed his water bottle. He glanced over at Brooke, who was gazing at him, her hazel eyes sparkling with amusement. She knew he'd been checking her out and she loved it; he returned her smile and locked his gaze on hers. Her smile widened and she gave him a saucy wink before turning away, ponytail bouncing as she skipped over to where Rachel and the rest of the squad was standing. Lucas sighed before gulping down half the contents of his water bottle. He continued to stare, unable to take his eyes off her. It was always like this when Brooke Davis was around. The rest of the world melted away and all he could focus on was her.

"Luke, didn't you hear the coach? Stop staring at the girls and get your head in the fucking game." Nathan mumbled, taking a seat beside his half-brother.

"I'm trying." He growled, reluctantly tearing his eyes away from Brooke who was doing some high kicks with the other cheerleaders across the gym.

"Yeah, well, try harder." Nathan took a swig from his own water bottle. "We need to get this team to the Final Four this season and that's not gonna happen if you keep your mind on bagging another piece of ass instead of on the game."

Lucas glared down at his brother, closing his fist around his water bottle. "I just got chewed out by Coach in front of the entire team; I don't need a repeat from you."

Nathan just shrugged and glanced up at the bleachers. "Trust me, Coach and I are the least of your worries right now."

Lucas followed his brother's gaze. "You have got to be shitting me," he muttered. Sitting about 12 rows back from the bench was their father, who was watching them with a superior smirk on his face. Dan lifted his left hand in a mock salute. Lucas turned away, without acknowledging his father's condescending greeting. "What the fuck is he doing here?" he hissed.

Nathan shrugged again. "You know Dan; his day isn't complete if he doesn't find some way to torment us. I think he's pissed about the disappearing act you pulled last night."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I only went to my mom's, for god's sake."

"It doesn't matter to him." Nathan raised his eyes to meet Luke's. "Remember we were supposed to go over there for dinner last night and to watch game tapes from his last year of college ball? So he could show us how it's done? I had to listen to his shit all night and because you weren't there, I got a double dose. Not exactly fun times, Luke." Nathan's tone turned bitter. "As if you were over at Karen's twice in one week. You were probably off getting wasted at the Blue Post and fucking some ho."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Lucas' eyes narrowed.

"Basketball, drinking and whoring around is what you do best; visiting your mommy – not so much." Nathan spat out.

Lucas took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his temper. He could see Dan practically grinning; he loved driving a wedge between the two brothers. It was easier for him to gain power over them when they were fighting. He sat down beside his brother. "Nathan, I am not shitting you – I was with my mom. Monday, I had dinner with her and Brooke and her family. Yesterday, I stopped by the café for a visit." He figured it was easier not to mention that his true purpose in heading to the café was to see Brooke, who was working last night. "It got late, so I stayed over. You can ask my mom. I totally forgot about dinner. I'm sorry."

Nathan just nodded. "Whatever, Luke. I get it; you're hiding behind Karen so you can escape from Dan's bullshit. Meanwhile, I'm the lucky one who gets to take the brunt of his abuse. I gotta go. Haley's waiting for me." He stood and picking up his gym bag, he headed for the showers.

Lucas' brow furrowed. "You and Haley are hanging out a lot, lately."

Nathan turned and glared at him. "Your point?"

"Haley's not your usual type." Lucas stepped closer to his brother. "She's special."

Nathan's scowl softened and he almost smiled. Lucas was surprised by the gentle, almost affectionate expression in his brother's eyes. "I know," he said simply, before walking off towards the locker room.

Lucas stared after him, wondering just exactly what was going on between his little brother and his best friend. He slowly gathered his things and headed towards the showers. He could feel Dan's burning gaze on the back of his head, so he quickened his pace. He was about to enter the hallway leading to the locker rooms when he heard a familiar voice, sending tingles down his spine.

"Hey, Broody Boy!" Brooke's raspy voice called out behind him.

Lucas turned and watched admiringly as she jogged towards him. "Hey, Pretty Girl. How was practice?"

Brooke smiled at him, teasingly. "You tell me. I think you were spending more time checking out our new routine than playing basketball." Her hazel eyes were filled with laughter and Lucas couldn't help the goofy grin that spread across her face. Anytime he was near Brooke, he couldn't help smiling.

"I couldn't help it – you looked great out there." Lucas replied, easily. "You looked happy."

Brooke's smile widened even more and Lucas could swear his heart stopped beating at the sight of those dimples. "I think for the first time in a long time I feel pretty happy. It was fun doing something I love." She bit her lip and took a step closer to him. "You know what else was kinda fun?"

"What?"

"Visiting with you last night. I mean, I know we didn't talk much because I was working…but I was still glad to see you outside of school." She fiddled with the silver bracelet on her wrist, looking up at him shyly. "Maybe we could do it again soon?" Her voice had a nervous tremor to it, which Lucas found adorable.

Lucas closed the gap between them, so that Brooke had to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. He reached for the hand that was toying with her bracelet and closed his fingers around hers, calming her nervous fidgeting. "I'd love to. Tonight?"

"Well, I have to get home soon. Jeremy's got a date. Oh, and your sister's spending the weekend." She sighed. Lucas' heart sank, slightly. "Unless…" Brooke hesitated. "Unless you'd like to come over and hang out at my place for a bit? The girls will be home. What do you say, Broody Boy? Think you can handle a house full of Davis women and Peyton?" She smiled up at him, flirtatiously.

Lucas smirked. "I think I'm up for the challenge."

Brooke gave his hand a squeeze and backed away. "Oh, you don't know what you're getting yourself into, Scott."

"Oh, I _know_ I can handle anything you throw at me." Lucas replied, huskily. "Meet you out front?"

Brooke nodded. "We'll soon see exactly what you can handle very shortly." She turned and walked down the hall towards the girls' locker room.

Lucas groaned slightly, watching the sway of her hips and how her shorts displayed her toned thighs. He quickly shook his head and pushed open the door to the boys' locker room. Coach was right; it was definitely time for a cold shower.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Lucas emerged from the locker room, freshly showered and eager to meet up with Brooke. He hadn't stopped smiling since their conversation in the gym. His unusually cheerful demeanor didn't go unnoticed and he ignored the teasing from his teammates who assumed he was trying to get in the pretty brunette's pants. Nothing could bring him down, now. He even felt a giddy tingle deep in the pit of his stomach; a feeling he hadn't experienced since his first crush in the eighth grade. It was strange that Brooke could awaken such emotions within him – emotions he thought no longer existed for him.

That feeling was quickly extinguished when a pair of strong hands roughly grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall. Lucas grunted. The wind was knocked out of him by the unexpected attack. He caught his breath as he stared into his assailant's icy blue eyes – eyes so much like his own. Dan. He'd forgotten about him. Lucas swallowed his fear and glared at his father.

"What the fuck, Dan?" he spat out, injecting as much hatred as possible into his tone.

"What the fuck, indeed." Dan replied, sneering at his eldest son. "That practice was one of the most pathetic performances I've ever seen in my life- and trust me; I've seen my share of sub-par basketball. Especially from you." Dan tightened his grip on Lucas' shoulders. "Thank god it was only a practice. If you played like that in a real game, you'd be an embarrassment yourself and your team. Most importantly, you would have embarrassed me."

"Like I give a shit about your opinion of me." Lucas said, tonelessly.

Dan chuckled and released Lucas from his grasp. "You _should_ care about my opinion of you. If it weren't for me, you'd have nothing. No money, no car, no home, no school – _nothing_."

Dan leaned in, closely. They were standing practically nose-to-nose. His cold gaze pierced Lucas like a knife. It was times like these where Dan made him feel so insignificant…worthless. Even though they stood at the same height, it seemed like Dan towered over him. Lucas straightened his back and clenched his jaw. He was not going to let Dan see any weakness. Dan was only getting started and if he cracked now, he'd never hear the end of it.

"When you got your ass booted from NYU, who used his money and influence to get you admitted to one of the finest universities in the country? Who got you a spot on one of the top college basketball teams? Who ensured that you would still be able to achieve your lifelong dream of playing in the NBA?" Dan spoke in a condescending, arrogant tone, designed to get underneath Lucas' skin. "Oh, that's right – it was _me_!" Dan paused, allowing his words to sink in. "You owe me everything, Lucas. I think it's time I reminded you of that fact. When I ask you to come over for dinner with your family, it's not a request…you're expected to show up. Not to be out boozing and whoring around." Dan chuckled once again. "I am well aware of your reputation. I'll admit I'm kind of proud that you inherited my ways of charming the ladies and I'm even more impressed that you've managed to avoid knocking anyone up. That's quite a feat considering the amount of pussy you're rumoured to have gone through. Don't worry; I have no problem with your fucking around as long it doesn't interfere with your obligations to me and to your family. But, most importantly, don't let your extracurricular activities get in the way of the game."

Lucas' hands tightened into fists and he could feel his face flushing with anger. He opened his mouth to fire off a quick retort, when Dan held up his hand. "I'm not done, Lucas. I saw you staring at that cheerleader today. While I admit she's certainly attractive, she's not worth blowing your game. Fuck her and forget about her, Luke. Don't let a piece of ass make you lose sight of your destiny."

"Don't you dare talk about her that way." Lucas said, quietly. His voice seemed calm, but inside his blood was boiling.

"Oh, don't tell me you think you're in love with her." Dan rolled his eyes and snorted contemptuously. "She isn't worth it, son. All of these whores are after the same thing – to get knocked up so they can tie you down."

"You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about." Lucas was almost shaking, he was so angry.

Dan raised an eyebrow. "Don't I? I got taken in twice."

"Shut up, Dan." Lucas whispered, in a deadly calm voice. How could he refer to Karen and Deb as whores? He'd once professed to love each of them at one time or another. In one sentence, his father had managed to insult three of the most important women in his life and Lucas wasn't about to stand for it. Even though he shouldn't be surprised by anything Dan said or did anymore, Lucas could t. ll his temper was rising beyond his control. If Dan didn't back off now, he wouldn't be responsible for his actions.

"She's not worth it, son. The sooner you realize it, the better." Dan said, firmly. "I will not allow you to throw your life away on some mindless slut who'll spread her legs for anyone."

That was it. Lucas snapped. He threw his weight forward, catching Dan off-guard. He pushed with all his strength, and slammed the older man against the opposite wall. "I thought I told you to shut the fuck up!" Lucas shouted.

"You little shit!" Dan barked, taking a swing at Lucas and missing. He took another shot and punched his son in the jaw.

Lucas returned the favour, landing a punch in Dan's stomach. Without warning, Dan reached up and grabbed Lucas by the neck and thrust him up against the wall. Lucas gasped for air. Smiling grimly, his eyes black with anger, Dan punched Lucas once again. Lucas' vision blurred, as the back of his head hit the concrete wall. He could taste blood; he was bleeding. Lucas' rage was extinguished with the realization that his father's large hands were wrapped around his throat and dangerously close to squeezing the life out of him. He slumped against the wall, in shock. Seeing that Lucas was no longer a threat, Dan loosened his grip on his son's neck.

He stared at Dan, as his father calmly straightened his tie and smoothed out his disheveled hair. "I trust that you will give some thought to what I've discussed with you today. Get your head back in the game, where it belongs." Dan smirked. "I also want you to consider the wisdom of physically attacking me after everything I've done for you. You're severely outmatched, boy, and don't you forget it." Dan paused and checked his watch. "Besides, if it was up to me, you'd never have been born in the first place. You should be grateful that I've done so much for you – I could have easily ignored your existence."

Lucas closed his eyes, trying not to reveal how much those words hurt him.

Dan turned his back and started walking towards the gym. "Oh, I almost forgot –" he looked over his shoulder at Lucas. "Deb wants to have a family dinner next Sunday, after we get back from Florida. We'll be expecting you."

Lucas stared at the floor, listening as Dan's footsteps faded away. He couldn't process anything right now. For the first time, he actually felt afraid for his life. Dan had threatened him tons of times before, but not to this extent…not physically. He sighed heavily, reaching up to tentatively touch his lip. He drew his fingers away and found blood on his fingertips. Lucas raised his head, hearing a small gasp. Brooke stood near the doorway to the girls' locker room; a stricken expression on her beautiful face. Lucas wondered how much she had witnessed and got his answer when he saw her tear-filled eyes. He dropped his gaze to the floor. He didn't want Brooke to see how upset he was. He didn't want her to see him like this – weak, scared.

Lucas acted as if he didn't care how Dan treated him; that his words didn't affect him. Hell, he spent years cultivating an overconfident, tough exterior. Very few people got to see the real Lucas Scott buried under the cocky, overconfident exterior he presented to the world. It was the only way he could make sure Dan couldn't reach him. But today…Dan had gotten to him. He'd pierced Lucas' shield and now he had even more power over him.

Lucas heard Brooke's approach and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to suppress the burning tears. He tried to calm his thoughts and think clearly – he had to get hold of himself and regain control of the situation. He could tell Brooke was standing in front of him; he could smell her vanilla-scented shampoo and hear her soft breathing. He swallowed hard, feeling her tender touch on his cheek. Lucas opened his eyes.

"I'm okay. It's fine," he lied. He stared intently at the ground, noticing the flip-flops she was wearing. They had giant decorative pink flowers on them. It was easier to stare at her feet instead of into her eyes. If he looked into those eyes, he knew he would break. And that could not happen.

"Lucas…you're bleeding." Brooke whispered, her voice shaking. She reached into her bag and pulled out a tissue. Gently, she began to wipe away the blood trickling from his lip. Lucas drew in a shuddering breath; the way she was touching him reminded him of the way she caressed him on the night they met. He raised his head. She shook her head, taking in the bruises forming on his face and neck. She glanced up and placed a hand on each side of his face.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice cracking.

He looked into her hazel eyes. They were filled with sadness and compassion…and strength. Lucas pressed his lips together; he could feel his walls crumbling down. He was breaking, just like he knew he would…but it didn't matter. "He never wanted me to be born." Lucas choked out, as a couple of tears leaked out of his eyes. Brooke sighed softly and wiped them away. She drew him into her arms and gave him a kiss on the temple. Lucas buried his face into the crook of her shoulder and slowly began to fall apart. "I feel so fucking worthless…" he whispered into her neck, suppressing a sob.

"Luke…you're not worthless. Far from it." Brooke murmured soothingly in his ear, as she stroked his hair. "I don't usually give a rat's ass about a guy I randomly make out with at a party. And I don't spend all my time thinking about people who are worthless. You're an amazing person; you just hide it very well. You're worth something to me…and to Haley and Nathan and Karen." Brooke paused and he raised his head. "What I'm trying to say is that I give a rat's ass about you, Lucas Scott."

Lucas stared at her in amazement. With just a few words, she was able to ease some of the damage Dan had inflicted on him. He gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you…for giving a rat's ass."

Brooke shrugged and returned his smile. "It's nothing."

"Oh, it's something, alright." Lucas wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned forward, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He carefully increased the pressure on her lips and he felt the same electric tingle run down his spine the first time they kissed. She parted her lips and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. God, she tasted so good…sweet. Slowly, very, very slowly, they sank deeper into their first kiss in over three months. It was just as amazing as he remembered – no, it was better. Brooke was trembling in his arms and he pulled her closer to him, so her body was flush against his. She moaned slightly against his lips and Lucas smiled almost shyly, his heart racing. After they reluctantly broke apart, Lucas rested his forehead against hers.

"Brooke…"

"Yeah?"

"I give a rat's ass about you, too."

* * *

_"It's okay to be a little broken; everybody's broken in this life. It's okay to feel a little broken; everybody's broken. You're alright, it's alright…it's just life."_


	11. Tell Me Baby

**Oh my God. I am so sorry I am so behind with updating. I know I promised chapters for the end of July. And it's almost the end of August! What happened? Well...I wrote the original draft of this chapter. And then I hated it. So I deleted it. Then I wrote another. But I didn't like that either. I felt like the last chapter left off with such an emotional punch that I had no idea how to follow that up. I do have the story plotted – I know what I want to happen. This chapter was tricky because it is very transitional. It's not exactly action-packed, but I had to set the characters up for future chapters. **

**The good news is, I already have Chapter 12 partially written (yay!) and it'll be a good one. I think. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that I need a Beta to bounce ideas off of and to keep me on track. I tend to second-guess myself constantly instead of just trusting my gut and that's why I take so bloody long. If anyone's interested, PM me. Enough blabber, here's the chapter. Let me know what you think – good or bad.**

**Special thanks to all the lovelies who reviewed the last chapter: TheBrokenSmileXx, Love me some Julian, tanya2byour21, z, OTH-Brucas-love, ReadingRed, 23bNrAuLcEaYs, superstargirl7, dianehermans, BrookeIsAGangsta, BDavisLScott23 and last but not least, Mel. I **_**really**_** appreciate your feedback. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Tell Me Baby**

"_Tell me baby, what's your story? Where'd you come from and where do you wanna go this time? Tell me lover, are you lonely? The thing we need is never all that hard to find." – Red Hot Chili Peppers_

The heavy silence was crushing.

Brooke glanced over at the brooding blond in the driver's seat. Neither of them had spoken since they got into his red Mustang and started the forty-five minute drive back to Tree Hill. Lucas stared straight ahead, his stormy blue eyes hidden behind his expensive aviator sunglasses. His expression was blank – what she could see of it anyway – but his jaw was slightly clenched. They were flying down the highway at a pretty good pace, at least twenty miles over the speed limit, judging by how slow the other cars on the road seemed to be going. Lucas effortlessly weaved in and out of rush hour traffic and Brooke's lips curled into a small smile. She loved a guy who knew how to drive...and the faster the better. The late afternoon sun cast Lucas in a golden light and Brooke's heart skipped a beat. God, he was damn sexy. Brooke sighed softly. A beautiful afternoon, cruising down the highway in a hot car, with an even hotter guy at her side...she felt almost like her old self, again.

But the image was distorted. Brooke took in the darkening bruises on Lucas' neck and the cut on his lip...lips that she had kissed not even half-an-hour ago. After he'd been viciously attacked by his own father.

* * *

_One hour ago_

_Brooke gazed at herself in the mirror in the girls' locker room as she finished blow drying her hair. She caught sight of the goofy smile on her face and giggled. It had been a long time since she felt like this. She was so used to faking happiness; she'd completely forgotten what it felt like to actually _be_ happy. _

_Things were looking up at home. Katie's doctor appointment had gone well; she was suffering from mild anxiety and insomnia brought on by stress stemming from their parents' deaths. Luckily, there were a number of options available to help her cope. She had to see a counsellor once every two weeks and was on some anti-anxiety meds. It would take some time before any improvement would be noticed. Brooke had breathed a sigh of relief at the news. Brooke's grandmother had taken her own life when Brooke's father was still a little boy. Her dad never really talked about his mother, but he once told her that she was manic-depressive. Since Katie bore such a striking resemblance to that grandmother, it was easy for Brooke's mind to jump to that conclusion. Katie still a long way to go, but for now, she was okay._

_Rachel had made good on her promise to concoct a plan that would allow Brooke to cheer again. She mapped out the squad's schedule for the entire year, including practices, games and competitions. Then, she canvassed friends and family to help out with babysitting Tessa, or staying at the house with her siblings when she needed to travel out of town. Brooke couldn't believe that so many people agreed to help her family out; especially for something as 'frivolous' as cheerleading. It did prove that the Davis kids weren't really alone in the world and that made Brooke feel a little safer. She made a mental note to do something really amazing for Rachel...maybe she could make her a killer dress for the Homecoming Dance in a few weeks._

_But what made her truly happy was a certain brooding blond. She couldn't stop thinking about their flirty conversation in the gym and how those intense blue eyes followed her every move throughout practice. Brooke bit her lip, running a brush through her hair. Was it too soon to be feeling like this? Mad, crushed-out love? Well, maybe not love. It was definitely too soon for that. Mad, crushed-out, like? She grimaced slightly, thinking of how intense her feelings were. She was definitely well past the 'like' stage. She just hoped that she could keep a level head around him. If she listened to her heart, it would only get her into trouble. _

_Brooke took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She was ready. Brooke gathered her things and ran her fingers through her hair one last time. Maybe she could bribe the girls into taking Tessa out to a movie or something to give her and Lucas some privacy this evening..._

_She was the last one to leave since all the other squad members lived on campus and preferred to shower and change at their dorms. Brooke turned off the lights and pushed open the locker room door, a smile on her face. She turned the corner and encountered a sight that made her blood run cold._

_Dan Scott was standing in the hallway, pinning Lucas – his own son – against the wall. Brooke froze, unable to act or react. Then, to her horror, he drew back his fist and punched Lucas right in the face. Brooke sharply drew in her breath as she saw the back of Lucas' head make contact with the wall. She whimpered softly, watching Dan's hands grip Lucas' neck. Brooke had never witnessed such violence before in her life. 'What the fuck do I do?' she wondered, desperately. Should she make her presence known, or would that make things worse? Dan was a large man, he could easily overpower her. But she couldn't allow him to hurt Lucas anymore. Just as she made the decision to step forward and make her presence known, Dan suddenly released his son from his grasp._

_Brooke stared in disbelief as Dan casually readjusted his clothing and smoothed out his hair, while offhandedly telling his son that if it were up to him, Lucas wouldn't have been born in the first place. Then, the bastard invited Lucas to a family dinner as if the whole thing had never happened. _

_Brooke's mind was swirling as she watched Dan leave. She couldn't believe this was the same man who she entrusted her sisters to when they stayed over with Peyton...the same man who was her father's occasional golf partner...business man of the year...father to Nathan, Lucas and Peyton...how could he say and do such awful things to his own flesh and blood? Brooke had never really liked Dan Scott – now it appeared her intuition was correct. He was charming, that was for certain. But, there was an oily, slimy quality to him which Brooke found repulsive. Still, she never imagined he would abuse his own children. Parents were supposed to love and protect their kids. At least that was what she had always known to be true. It was upsetting to realize that not everyone had loving parents like Richard and Victoria Davis. Brooke's eyes filled with tears as she thanked God for having wonderful parents – even if they were taken away much too soon. She swallowed a pang of regret that she didn't appreciate what she had until they were gone._

_But she could dwell on that later._

_Lucas...the devastated expression on his face made her heart ache. Brooke opened her eyes, watching as he tentatively touched his face. She couldn't help gasping when she saw the blood. Lucas' blood. She hurried towards him, even as he looked down at the floor and shrank away from her. Brooke bit her lip, trying to keep her tears at bay as he closed his eyes tightly. He was trying to hide; to quickly put up a strong front before his vulnerability was exposed. Brooke knew what he was doing because she did the exact same thing every single day of her life._

_He refused to look up at her as she approached. "I'm okay. It's fine." He whispered in a broken voice._

_Brooke opened up her purse and pulled out a tissue. "Lucas, you're bleeding." She carefully wiped the blood off his upper lip. He was shaking, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Brooke could feel her heart breaking for him. He was terrified and she wanted to protect him, to save him. Seeing the way Dan treated him explained so much. No wonder he acted like a cocky bastard; it was a defence mechanism. _

_As she finished cleaning him up, Brooke gazed at the ugly purplish bruises forming on his neck. Brooke blinked back her tears and tried to suppress her urge to cry. Strong, be strong; Lucas needed her strength. She shook her head and met his stormy blue eyes. There was endless hurt and pain their depths. It was like he was drowning. Brooke knew she had to say or do something; to give him a lifeline. But what could she possibly say at a time like this? Any words she spoke would be inadequate; saying nothing would allow him time to rebuild his walls and shut her out. Finally, without realizing it, she spoke. _

"_I'm sorry." She cringed, inwardly wincing at her words. Could she have chosen two more useless words? Brooke fully expected Lucas to turn away or lash out at her. Instead, he stared into her eyes for an endless moment. Then, the dam broke. She finally saw the real Lucas Scott; the Lucas Scott no one else had ever seen. She took him in her arms and tried to comfort him. At that moment, she realized she was really and truly falling for him. She never wanted to let him go again. God help her..._

* * *

Brooke looked at Lucas, again. She hoped he wouldn't shut her out, but she understood if he didn't want to talk about what happened. She tilted her head to one side, frowning, slightly. She'd allow him his time to brood, but the minute they got to her place, it would have to stop. She just couldn't stand the tension.

"_In my head, I see you all over me. In my head, you fulfill my fantasy. You'll be screaming no. In my head –"_

Brooke jumped slightly, startled by her ring tone. She grabbed her purse, hastily digging through it to find her phone.

Lucas glanced over at her and smirked. "Jason Derulo? Seriously?"

"He's hot and this song is awesome...especially when you're at a club with a hot guy grinding up on you." Brooke smiled at him, teasingly. "Hello?" She answered the phone before Lucas could respond to her provocative remark. "Hey, Mini-Me. What's up?"

Lucas returned his attention to the road, hiding a chuckle at Brooke's nickname for her youngest sister. He half-listened to Brooke's conversation with Tessa. He wished he had a closer relationship with his family. Sure, he had his mom, Nathan and a newfound bond with his Uncle Keith. But that didn't change the fact that his dad was an abusive psychopath, his step-mother popped pills and lived at the country club and his half-sister was a stranger.

Lucas felt a pang of regret, thinking about Peyton. He'd been back a week and hadn't even seen her or talked to her on the phone, yet. Lucas frowned, wondering when exactly she had drifted so far away from him and Nate.

When Peyton was little she absolutely worshipped him. She followed him around everywhere; she wanted to do everything he did. She used to call him Lukie. He smiled, remembering how she would toddle around on the basketball court, trying to play with him and Nate. How she would cry on the days he had to return to his mother's house. How she would squeal in delight and clap her hands every time she saw him. She would draw and ask him to make up a story to go along with her pictures. She always wanted Lucas to read to her at night, because Dan and Deb couldn't be bothered and Nathan refused to do funny voices.

Nate would tease him about it constantly, but Lucas could read an undercurrent of jealousy in his brother's eyes – their baby sister seemed to like Luke better. Maybe because he didn't tease her as mercilessly as Nate did. But, as they got older, Peyton got left behind.

Once they hit high school and became wrapped up in basketball, girls and parties, spending time with their little sister became less of a priority. That was also around the time Dan began really pressuring them to excel in the game. It became all-consuming. Yet, Dan simply ignored Peyton. When she demonstrated a lack of interest in sports; Dan simply discarded her. Lucas and Nathan were envious of her for avoiding Dan's wrath – it wasn't her fault, but it was all too easy to resent her for not shouldering her fair share of Dan's abuse.

Now, she was all alone in that house with Dan, Deb, her music collection and her drawings. He was uneasy at having to see her tonight. He felt guilty and ashamed of himself for not being there, for leaving her behind. He didn't want to have to explain his bruises or how he got them...his stomach sank, realizing that if Dan was beginning to physically hurt him and Nathan, what was to stop him from hurting Peyton? Why was his family so fucked-up?

Lucas gripped the steering wheel and sped up, blinking back the tears welling up in his eyes. He was thankful he wore his sunglasses, so Brooke couldn't see how pathetic he was. Lucas exhaled slowly, steeling himself against the wave of emotions rising within him. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. Not even Brooke; especially not Brooke. She already knew too much; he _needed_ her too much. He was scared to see where that would lead...

"So, it looks like you'll have one less Davis woman to contend with tonight." Brooke's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "My mini-me's been invited to a slumber party tonight. Jeremy's dropping her off, now. Looks like it'll just be you, me, Katie, Sam and Peyton."

Lucas nodded. He glanced up into the rear-view mirror, taking note of the bruises forming on his jaw line and his neck. He really didn't want Peyton or Brooke's sisters to see him looking so battered. There'd be too many questions and he just didn't want to deal with it. Besides, all he really wanted was be with Brooke...alone. "Brooke? Is there any way we could be alone tonight? I just don't know if I'm up to seeing the girls tonight...not after what happened." he said, in a quiet voice.

Brooke reached over and squeezed his knee. Lucas swallowed hard at her touch. "Okay, I'll see what I can do." She responded, gently.

They sank back into silence as they passed the worn sign welcoming them to Tree Hill. Brooke observed Lucas' hands tightening around the steering wheel. She wanted to touch him, to reassure him that everything was fine. But how could she? If there was one thing Brooke learned over the past few months, things like this rarely ended up just fine.

"Nice house."

Brooke turned her head and met Lucas' gaze, as she unbuckled her seatbelt. His eyes were still hidden by his sunglasses, but he wore a cocky smirk on his face. Ah, the walls had gone back up. So, that's what he'd spent the entire drive doing – rebuilding walls. She couldn't really blame him – she did the same thing all the time. The difference was she was pleasant to be around when she hid behind her overly cheerful persona; Lucas just turned into an arrogant ass.

Brooke flashed a smile at him and shrugged. "Yeah, it's alright." Even though the house was fairly large, it paled in comparison to the Scott mansion.

"What's with the red door?"

"Oh, that." Brooke laughed, remembering. "When my parents bought the house, it looked really, well, ugly. It was painted avocado green and the door was bright yellow. They ended up painting it white, which was really boring. I mean, can you get more plain than white? It's not even a real colour. I bitched so much about it; my parents let me pick the paint colour for the door to shut me up. I chose the most vibrant, but least tacky shade of red I could find – Candy Apple."

Lucas chuckled and Brooke's heart leapt at the sound – even his laugh was sexy. "Subtle."

"Well, at least I didn't pick Zebra Wound." Brooke stuck her tongue out at him.

Lucas laughed again and shook his head. He was still smirking, slightly; but it had lost the arrogant edge and was closer to a smile. They fell into silence again, but neither one of them made a move to exit the vehicle. Brooke cast another glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He appeared to be staring at her; she couldn't be sure. She started playing with her bracelet; a nervous habit.

"Why are you nervous?" Lucas asked her, in a low voice.

Brooke stopped fiddling with her bracelet and steadily gazed at him. "I'm not nervous." Lucas ducked his head and tried to hide a grin, but Brooke caught a glimpse of it. "I saw that, Broody Boy. What's so funny?"

Lucas raised his head and shrugged. "You."

"Me?"

"You say you're not nervous, but I saw you playing with that bracelet. You were doing it in the gym earlier before you asked me out…and you were definitely nervous then."

"Was not!" Brooke huffed and crossed her arms.

"It was cute; you were blushing when you asked me to come over." Lucas smiled again and gently brushed her forearm with his hand, letting his fingers trail down to the bracelet. "Tiffany's? Very nice." He murmured as he fingered the heart-shaped charm hanging from the silver chain.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I do not blush."

"Yeah, you do." Lucas replied, in a voice that made shivers run up and down Brooke's spine. "I like making you blush…" He trailed off. "So, where did you get the bracelet? Ex-boyfriend? Secret lover? Girlfriend?"

She scoffed and let out a laugh. "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't. I'm just curious."

"Hmmm." Brooke raised her eyebrow. "If you must know, it's from my Sugar Daddy. Let's just say I satisfy his needs and he rewards me appropriately." Brooke swallowed a laugh as Lucas' jaw dropped open. She reached over for the door handle.

Lucas grabbed her left hand pulled her closer to him. "Your Sugar Daddy?" he smirked, arching an eyebrow.

Brooke giggled and shrugged. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Scott."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah..._really_."

Lucas raised a hand and gently stroked her cheek, just like she had touched him earlier in the week. Brooke shivered in anticipation as he inclined his head towards hers. She couldn't wait to feel his lips on hers once again. She closed her eyes and felt Lucas' lips brush up against her own. And then...a sharp tap on the passenger side window shattered the moment.

"Yo, B! Stop making out with your new boy toy! You're setting a bad example."

Brooke turned her head and blushed furiously at the intrusion. "Jeremy." She growled, blushing furiously. Lucas had pulled away and was leaning back in his seat, with an expression of mild amusement on his face. Brooke was mortified. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at her little brother. Jeremy caught sight of her expression and started laughing at her. Oh, he was going to pay for this.

Brooke angrily opened the passenger-side door, banging into her brother's shin, in the process. "Damn it, Jeremy! We were having a moment! Do you see me interrupting you and your girlfriends when you're having a moment?"

"Ouch. That hurt...no need to get violent, Penelope. I was just doing my civic duty in ensuring that you, as the responsible adult, are setting a good example for the young ladies in your care." Jeremy had stopped laughing, but he still had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He nodded towards the living room window, where Brooke could see three teenage girls peering at them through the curtains. "Besides, Lucas isn't your boyfriend...is he?"

Brooke's mouth opened, but she had nothing to say. She really did not know how to define their relationship. She cast a glance over at Lucas, who had also exited the car and was leaning against the side, watching the eldest Davis siblings argue, as if they were acting out an intriguing scene in a play for him. He still wore his aviators, so she still wasn't sure what he was thinking...but he wore that damned smirk.

"I...uh..." Normally, Brooke would just toss some insult at her brother and the bickering would continue. Instead she was drawing a blank. How could she come up with some good insults when her mind was filled with Lucas Scott? Brooke sighed in frustration. "I...need to go to there." She mumbled and practically ran up the sidewalk to the front door.

Lucas and Jeremy watched as Brooke disappeared inside the house. Lucas pushed himself off the side of his car and moved to follow her, but Jeremy stopped him.

"Nah, I wouldn't, man. She needs time to calm down." Jeremy glanced down at the ground for a second. "I guess I struck a nerve." He said, looking up at Lucas, thoughtfully.

Lucas returned the younger boy's gaze. "Yeah, I guess you did."

"It's just...I've never seen her like this before. She usually doesn't have a problem taking me down a peg or two." Jeremy ran a hand through his hair. "No guy has ever had this effect on her."

Lucas silently considered Jeremy's words. "So you think I have an effect on her?"

"I think she's got it bad. She likes you." Jeremy frowned. "Do you feel the same way? Do you like my sister...like _like_ her?"

Lucas sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe." He replied, offhandedly.

Jeremy glared fiercely at Lucas. "Since my dad's not around anymore, I guess it's up to me to tell you this, even though Brooke's older than me." He stepped closer, so he was standing in front of Lucas. "Don't mess with her. If you like her – _really_ like her – fine, great. I don't tell her this very much, but my sister's an amazing person. She deserves to be happy." A protective fire burned in Jeremy's green eyes. "I know about your rep, Scott. I'm not one to judge a person on gossip or innuendo. I'm going to base my opinion of you on what I see." Jeremy's shoulders tensed up as he took another step closer to Lucas. "But, if you do anything to hurt her or make her cry, I will kick your fucking ass. I might be a couple of years younger than you and not as bulky, but I can assure you that I wouldn't hesitate to rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to a stray dog if I had to."

Lucas ducked his head, trying not to laugh at Jeremy's colourful threat. He knew the teenager was serious; he was looking out for his big sister. He liked to think he and Nathan would do the same for Peyton if any guy ever messed with her. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure she doesn't get hurt. You have my word." They were silent for a moment, each sizing the other up. "We cool?"

Jeremy just nodded. "We're cool." He furrowed his brow, staring at Lucas. "Were you in a fight or something, man?"

Lucas frowned for a moment, feeling a momentary flash of anger at Dan. He shook his head and pulled his unwilling lips into an arrogant smirk. "If you think I look bad, you should see the other guy."

Jeremy grinned at him. "Awesome. I heard you were a badass, Scott. Anyway, I've gotta get going. B. should be calmed down by now if you want to go inside."

"Go ahead. I just need to get something out of the car. I'll see you later."

"Sure." Jeremy nodded again and jogged up the driveway.

Lucas stood beside his car, waiting until Jeremy got into his black Jeep and pulled out of the driveway, blasting the latest Kanye track. Once he was sure no one was watching, Lucas opened the passenger-side door sat down, popping open the glove compartment. Lucas smiled grimly as he found what he was looking for – a stainless steel flask given to him by Uncle Cooper when they acted as groomsmen in his wedding last year. He kept it in on-hand just in case he needed a quick fix to numb the pain. Lucas quickly unscrewed the top and took a long swig of vodka. He sighed and leaned his head back. The clear liquid burned as it went down, but it was strangely soothing. He just wanted to forget everything that had happened with Dan today. He took another drink before remembering he was only supposed to be a few seconds. Brooke would be wondering where he disappeared to and he did not want her to see him like this. He quickly closed the flask and shoved the flask into his inside jacket pocket. He had a feeling he would be needing it later.

* * *

Brooke pushed open the door to her house and dropped her gym bag on the floor. She heaved a frustrated sigh and kicked off her shoes. "Argh!" she growled, slamming her keys down on the hall table.

"Tough day, Brookie?"

Brooke looked up, startled to see her Peyton and the twins gathered in the doorway to the living room. Sam was wearing a sarcastic smirk – which was a nice change from her usual scowl, Peyton looked nonplussed and Katie's eyebrow was raised and she wore a slight secretive smile on her face.

Brooke sighed and shook her head. "Jeremy's just being a jerk."

Sam rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the doorframe. "What else is new? His sole purpose is to annoy the crap out of us."

"True. But he still had no right to embarrass me in front of my friend." Brooke complained.

"Really? Friend? That's the best you could come up with? We all saw you." Sam smirked. "So, how was it?"

"Ewww! That's my brother you're talking about, Sam." Peyton nudged her friend, shooting a stony glare in Brooke's direction.

Brooke's cheeks heated up. "Nothing happened. We were just talking. He drove me home and he's hanging out with us tonight."

"What?" Peyton gasped, sharply.

"Whoa, Peyt. Chill." Sam placed a hand on Peyton's shoulder, to calm her friend. "Actually, me and Peyton are meeting up with some friends. There's a Twilight movie marathon tonight."

"So...it'll just be you, Katie and your _friend – my brother_. How cozy." Peyton spat out. "And don't tell me to 'chill', Sam! I haven't seen Luke since last June. He hasn't come by the house to see me, no phone calls, no emails, nothing. I had to ask Sam if I could stay with you guys this weekend because neither of my brothers could be bothered to come home for two fucking days to stay with me. Yet, he somehow manages to spend time with your sister. He doesn't even know her." Peyton shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing wildly. "Whatever. I'm over it. Why should expect anything different from my so-called family?"

With that, Peyton turned and stalked out of the room. The Davis girls jumped, hearing the backdoor slam. They were all silent for a few moments, stunned by Peyton's outburst.

Sam was the first to speak. "I better go after her. We'll be back later."

Brooke rubbed her temples and sighed. "Okay. Call if you need anything...and be home by eleven."

Sam rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculously early."

"You're fourteen. I think that's a pretty generous curfew." Brooke crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I guess." Sam agreed reluctantly, rolling her eyes again. "See you guys later."

Brooke sighed deeply and turned her gaze to Katie. "So...how was your day? You didn't want to go out?"

Katie shrugged. "My day was fine, uneventful. As for the whole Twilight thing...I don't mind the books, but the movie versions leave a lot to be desired. I'd rather stay in and write tonight. But, don't worry...I'll steer clear of you and Luke. I already put Haley's homemade mac and cheese in the oven for you...and there might be a bottle or two of white wine chilling in the fridge. No idea how it would have gotten there, though. Oh! I could set the table for you; with candles!"

"Katie...we're just friends." Brooke insisted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She could just imagine what Lucas would think if he walked in to find a candlelit dinner set up for them in the dining room.

"But, you like him. He certainly likes you. I could tell. Why don't you just have fun for once?" Katie titled her head to the side and gazed at her sister, questioningly.

"That's not the point. I'm supposed to be responsible – "

Katie frowned. "There's no one to be responsible for tonight. Tessa's at her friends; Sam and Peyt are at the movies; Jeremy's on a date; I'm happy writing. You have no excuses left." Katie's emerald green eyes were piercing; Brooke felt exposed, as if all of her secrets would be revealed under her sister's stare. It was unnerving. "Brooke, don't take what Peyton said personally. Her anger is directed at her brother and the rest of her family – not you." Katie let out a small sigh. "Anyway, I'll be in Dad's study...try to have fun with Lucas. You deserve a night to yourself. You haven't gone out with your friends since Mom and Dad..." Katie's voice trailed off as she enveloped her older sister in a hug. "You deserve to have fun, Brooke." She repeated in a soft voice before she left the room.

Brooke stood in the hallway, considering Katie's words. Did she really deserve to have fun? She sighed heavily and looked at the wall of framed family photos. She'd seen these pictures hundreds of times before...some were formal, posed photographs taken by professional photographers; others were candid shots. Some had the entire family, others were just of the kids; or of Victoria and her girls; Richard and his boy. Numerous holidays, birthdays, vacations and other milestones were represented in these images. Brooke noticed that in every single one she was smiling; really smiling with her dimples showing and everything. Brooke turned her head and caught sight of her reflection in the hallway mirror. She looked at herself – really looked at herself - for the first time in months. She looked nothing like the girl in those pictures; but that Brooke had never been touched by sadness or tragedy. For one night, she wanted that girl back...maybe her younger and obviously wiser sister was right. What was stopping her from having fun for just one night?

"Hey, Pretty Girl."

Brooke turned and saw Lucas leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, with his trademark smirk fixed on his face. On the surface, he looked exactly like the cocky bastard he was known as.

"Hey, Broody Boy." Brooke smiled at him as she approached. "Welcome to Casa Davis." She took his hand in hers and pulled him inside.

Then, she noticed. He'd removed his sunglasses and she could read the expression in his eyes for the first time since they'd left the gym. Brooke was nearly overwhelmed but what she found in those ocean blue depths. He was drowning...and he was counting on her to save him. He didn't have to say it; maybe he didn't even consciously know it.

Fuck it. They had enough pain in their lives. Katie was right – it was time to have some fun. They both deserved it.

* * *

Lucas was slightly buzzed. He'd taken another three belts from his flask while Brooke was in the kitchen, finishing up a salad to go with Haley's macaroni and cheese. He tried to help, but she kicked him out insisting that he was the guest. So, Lucas found himself exploring 'Casa Davis.'

Brooke's family was fairly well-off, judging by the size of the house. It wasn't as large as Dan's place and not as richly decorated. But you got a feeling that a family lived here, there was a warmth in this house that was definitely lacking at Dan's. It reminded him of his mother's house in a way and Lucas felt comforted. There were family pictures on every available wall surface. Brooke's parents definitely made family a priority; you could see it in every photograph. Lucas turned away, sadly. Even though he never met Brooke's parents, he could tell they must have been everything to their kids. He briefly considered what his life would be if he lost his mother...Lucas imagined he would just shut down. Dan on the other hand...if Dan died, Lucas would hardly be devastated. He shook his head and took a quick swig from his flask to chase those evil thoughts away.

A book-lined library caught his attention and Lucas was immediately drawn in. It was a large room; a bay window provided an attractive view the backyard, and a large mahogany desk was placed in front of it. The walls were covered with shelves that were literally stuffed with books. Books were even piled on top of the shelving units. Stacks of books could be found on every available surface. There were leather-bound antique books, paperbacks, hardcover, soft-cover, reference books, textbooks, modern and classic literature...any kind of book you could imagine – it was in this room. His jaw hanging open, Lucas began perusing the titles and was startled to find that there was no rhyme or reason to how the books were sorted. Lucas picked up a first edition of _The Great Gatsby_ (placed between a hardcover version of _The Shining_ and a paperback copy of _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies_) and exhaled in awe. He could spend a week in this room, without food or water and still find enough nourishment for his soul to last a lifetime.

"How do you feel about tattoos?"

Lucas' head jerked up and he spun around, nearly dropping the valuable book still clutched in his hands. He saw Brooke's sister – the one with the strawberry blonde hair and piercing green eyes – sitting in an armchair in the corner of the room. Her legs were hanging over the right arm of the chair and a notebook was balanced in her lap.

Lucas swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. Why did this girl unsettle him so much? "I...uh...I've never really given it much thought," Lucas replied, slowly. "Why?"

Katie tilted her head to the side, ignoring Lucas' question. "You know, she smiles a lot when you're around. Real smiles, not the fake ones she usually plasters on to reassure everyone that we're all gonna be okay." She stared out the window, a thoughtful expression on her features. "She has some people fooled; Tessa, Sam, my uncle Edward. Even Jeremy's bought into her act to a certain extent. I think it's because he needs to. If he can't believe that she's okay, his whole sense of reality will come crashing down. He wouldn't be able to handle it." Katie turned her vibrant green eyes back towards Lucas. "She has a hard time admitting she needs help – all of us do. Must be a family trait." A ghost of a smile momentarily crossed her face. "But you...she lets her walls come down for you. I think it's because you're just as damaged as she is – maybe more."

Lucas stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Katie looked at him, sadly. "I've met your family; spent time with them. I've watched your dad. I see past the glossy exterior he presents to the world. I've glimpsed the monster behind the mask – I do not envy you or Nathan or Peyton, at all." She sighed. "I have a feeling he has something to do with the bruises on your face and neck."

Lucas' stomach clenched and he swayed on his feet. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Lucas knew better. This girl had Dan pegged. She had him _pegged_. "How did you...did Brooke say something?"

"No...Brooke would never say anything, especially not to me. I'm emotionally fragile, remember?"

"Then, how do you know?"

"I just do." Katie remained silent for a moment, as if she was choosing her next words very carefully. "I know it seems like I'm oblivious to what goes on around me. Everyone thinks I'm lost in my own little world and I let them think that. I've perfected the art of blending in. No one notices me, so they tend to let their guards down when I'm around. I observe. I listen. I learn." She shrugged her shoulders. "And then I write."

Lucas struggled to find a response to Katie's revelations, but he came up empty. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

When it became obvious that Lucas wasn't going to reply, Katie turned her attention back to the notebook in her lap. "Have you seen Brooke's tattoo?"

Lucas wet his lips, his head spinning from the rapid change in subject. "Brooke has a tattoo?"

Katie shrugged again and raised an eyebrow. "Why else would I ask you your opinion on tattoos?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. His mind was dulled just enough by the vodka he'd been sneaking, leaving him with no desire to deal with this strange conversation right now. "I guess that makes perfect sense." He muttered.

"Hey, Broody Boy! Where did you disappear to?" Brooke's voice called out.

"That's your cue,_ Broody._" Katie snickered and returned to her writing.

Lucas stepped into the hallway and found Brooke standing at the foot of the stairs. She had changed into a simple black sleeveless top and a short denim skirt. Her hair was down and flowed over her shoulders. He just wanted to run his fingers through it. "You look...absolutely breath-taking." Lucas put his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him. He was suddenly glad her siblings were scarce tonight.

Brooke just smiled in response. "I think you've had a rough day and I've had a shitty summer. What do you say we forget about all of it and just have some fun tonight?" She purred in his ear.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her.

Brooke laughed and pulled away from him. "First of all, I'm starved. Let's eat some dinner and then, if you're a good boy, you just might get dessert." She skipped down the hallway towards the kitchen, her laughter trailing behind her.

Lucas didn't have to be told twice.

He really wanted dessert.


	12. Tonight, Tonight

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay. I was on holiday once again and didn't get as much time as I thought I would get to finish this chapter up. There's a lot going on in this one – it's fairly long and I hope you all enjoy it.**

**And a big thank you for all the reviews and offers to help me out last time! Now that this one's done, I will definitely be contacting some of you for some ideas. I really appreciate the support and the compliments. You all rock! If I haven't already replied to your review, I'll be doing it this week. As always, let me know what you think... :)**

**All lyrics are from "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpkins. **

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Tonight, Tonight**

"_Time is never time at all. You can never, ever leave without leaving a piece of youth. And our lives are forever changed; we will never be the same. The more you change the less you feel. Believe...believe in me...Believe that life can change, that you're not stuck in vain. We're not the same, we're different tonight. Tonight...so bright...tonight."_

Haley leaned against the wall and heaved a sigh. Her nerves were getting the better of her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It was just another Friday night; another gig at the Blue Post. Apparently, they would be playing in front of a packed house. Ever in since they came together in junior year, there had been hundreds of gigs, in different venues all over the South. Some shows were sold out; other times, they were only playing in front of a half dozen people. But, something was different about tonight.

Brooke once told her that a single moment had the potential to completely alter the course of one's life. It could be something seemingly insignificant, or it could be an overwhelming event...Either way, it would be a moment that you could point to in the future and realize that was the instant where everything changed, for better or for worse. For Brooke, it was the moment she entered her living room the morning after Nathan's party and found two police officers waiting to tell her that her parents were dead. Everything changed for Rachel when the Tree Hill High cheerleading squad won the Sparkle Classic during senior year – the win lead to a scholarship at Duke and becoming the first ever freshman to be named co-captain of the Blue Devils cheer squad. In Haley's case, everything changed the second Nathan Scott almost kissed her five days ago.

The almost-kiss proved to be the catalyst in forcing them to admit their feelings for each other. Still, it took a few days and Dan Scott to push them in that direction, Haley reflected. They talked for over three hours on the phone Monday night. Tuesday, they met for a coffee after Nathan finished practice...which ended up stretching through dinner and into the wee hours of the morning. They went out to a movie on Wednesday, which wasn't a date – at least, they both insisted it wasn't. Finally, last night, Nathan showed up on her doorstep...

* * *

_Thursday Night_

_Haley swam up out of a peaceful slumber, awakened by the repeated ringing of the doorbell. She squinted at her alarm clock in disbelief – it was nearly midnight. Who the hell would be showing up this time of night? Haley slowly sat up, trying to shake off the sleepy haze clouding her brain. Suddenly, her mind shifted into overdrive and her adrenaline started pumping. Whoever it was, they couldn't be bringing good news. She hesitated, one leg hanging off the edge of the bed. Maybe it was Lucas or Brooke; the only two people she could conceive of appearing on her doorstep in the middle of the might. Maybe one of them needed help. What if someone was hurt? She got up and pulled on her robe, her mind racing over a thousand imagined disasters. As she walked down the hallway towards the stairs, her eye fell on a photograph of her parents and a shiver ran down her spine. Maybe it was an emergency...maybe on the other side of that door stood a pair of police officers waiting to deliver bad news._

_Haley froze at the top of the stairs. She could feel gooseflesh rising on her arms and legs and she shivered again. What if her parents had gotten into an accident? Or what if some crazed lunatic attacked them and hacked them up to pieces at some remote campground? Or what if there was a drunk driver...like what happened with Brooke's parents? _

_It was at times like these she really missed her family. As the youngest of six children, she craved solitude; peace and quiet to contemplate her thoughts. She never imagined she would see the day where she wished for her entire family to reside under the same roof, again. She'd happily tolerate the chaos in order to get rid of the loneliness. Haley gripped the banister in her right hand, still debating on whether she should open the door. _

"_Hales! I know you're home! It's pouring rain out here!" A familiar voice shouted through the door._

_Haley let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She scrambled down the stairs and opened the door. The younger Scott brother stood on her front porch, breathing heavily. He was hunched over, fists resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His dark hair was plastered to his head, his hoodie soaked by the rain. He appeared to be shivering from the cold._

"_Nathan?" she asked, breathlessly._

_At the sound of her voice, Nathan raised his head and straightened up. His face was pale, but two bright red spots burned on his cheeks. His intense blue eyes were bloodshot; either through tears, booze, weed or a combination of all three. It didn't matter – Dan Scott was definitely the underlying cause. _

"_Hales. Can I stay tonight?" Nathan's voice shook, even as his eyes flooded with relief. Haley nodded and he leaned forward and pulled her into a fierce hug._

_Haley wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. She realized that Nathan wasn't shivering from the rain – he was shaking with anger. Haley sighed softly, rubbing his back soothingly. She wondered what Dan had done this time. They stood on the porch for a few minutes, holding each other tightly; one holding on for dear life, the other trying to give comfort. Finally, Haley pulled away and took Nathan by the hand, leading him inside. _

_Nathan went straight into the bathroom off the kitchen and closed the door. Haley stared at the closed door, wondering what she should do. She was reminded of the nights early in the summer when Nathan would show up randomly, needing to let off steam after a confrontation with Dan. But this was different – he had never shown up on her doorstep unannounced in the middle of the night and he never hugged her like that. It didn't feel like a friendly hug; it felt like a lovers' embrace._

_Haley's eyes widened at the realization and she decided that the best course of action would be to make some hot chocolate. Yes, wholesome, comforting hot chocolate. That was the ticket. _

_A few minutes later, Nathan emerged from the bathroom to find Haley sitting at the kitchen table with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in front of her._

"_Hey," she smiled at him. "I figured you might need something to help warm up."_

_Nathan returned her smile and took a sip from the mug she offered him. Haley's heart skipped a beat at the warm expression in his eyes. "Thanks. This is perfect..._you_ are perfect." He added in a quiet voice._

_Haley blushed and looked away, taking a sip of her own drink. She winced slightly as the hot chocolate burned her tongue. "So...what brings you by, Nate?"_

_Nathan set his cup down on the table and looked at her. "I was at home for a family dinner tonight." He slumped back in his chair and heaved a sigh. "It was beyond shitty. For one thing, Luke didn't show up, so I had to listen to Dan ranting and raving about what a loser my brother is and how I should be keeping him in line so he doesn't fuck up our chances to play pro. Deb was strung out on something; she was acting like a fucking zombie. Peyton just sat there as Dan reamed her out for not trying out for any sports. He actually ordered her to try out for cheerleading." Nathan shook his head and laughed humourlessly. "Seriously, can you see Peyton as a freaking cheerleader?" _

_Haley shook her head and smiled slightly. "Peyton would be the least cheery cheerleader I could think of."_

_Nathan snorted. "Tell me about it. Anyway, Peyt's getting all upset, almost crying. He's yelling at her; telling her that her art is a waste of time, that she's useless and the only way she'll ever amount to anything is if she gets knocked up and traps some poor sucker into marriage just like our mother did to him. And Deb fucking agreed with him." He drifted into silence, shaking his head._

_Haley set her mug down on the table, completely flabbergasted. "What the hell? She's only fourteen, Nate. He can't be serious...and Deb actually agreed with him?"_

"_Dan's a fucking psycho. I'm sure he was serious. He's convinced that every girl is out to get pregnant to tie a guy down. Mom agreed because she's high as a kite and to her drugged-up brain, this probably seemed like a heart-warming father/daughter chat." Nathan smirked and took another sip of hot chocolate. "And people wonder why Luke and I are so fucked in the head when it comes to relationships and love." _

_There was another long pause as Haley slowly digested Nathan's words. His voice softened when he spoke again. "I just can't stand to see him try to tear her down like he does to me and Luke. She's not as strong as we are; she can't handle Dan's shit. Hell, me and Luke can barely deal with it. So, I told him to back the fuck off and leave her alone. Then, he asks me to come to his study. We ended up getting into a huge fight." Nathan clenched his fists and stared down at the table._

_Haley leaned over and put her hands on top of his fists. "Nathan...did he? Like last time?" Her heart pounded, remembering what had happened last time Nathan had gotten into it with Dan. The result of that 'disagreement' was a black eye, and five stitches on his forehead. Nathan told everyone he'd gotten into a bar fight. The reality was that Dan had punched him in the face and Nathan fell, hitting his head on the sharp corner of Dan's ebony desk. The swelling had taken a week to go down. Haley tried to convince Nathan to tell someone, anyone, even Lucas; but he refused._

_Nathan shook his head. "No. I left before he got a chance to lay a hand on me. Or before I could beat the shit out of him." Nathan closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, his icy blue eyes locked onto Haley's. "I ran. I ran nearly six miles in the rain to the one place in the world I feel safe. I ran to you, Hales." He smiled slightly and opened his fists, so Haley's hands were firmly clasped in his. "I've known you forever...and for the longest time I didn't really know you at all. To me, you were Luke's annoying friend. You used to bug the shit out of me."_

_Haley rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks Nathan. This is exactly what every girl wants to hear."_

_Nathan laughed and entwined his fingers with hers. "I'm not good with words like you and Luke. I can't make up songs or give speeches...I'm getting there, Hales. I do have a point."_

_Haley nodded, and Nathan leaned in closer, so his face was inches away from hers. Looking into those eyes was unavoidable, now. Not that she wanted to look away._

"_Anyway, you used to annoy the crap out of me...but somehow, things changed. I can't tell you when or how or even why. It confuses me and I'm scared shitless...but I think I'm falling for you, Haley James. No, scratch that – I know I'm falling for you." Nathan exhaled nervously. "I'm not good at talking about feelings and stuff. But, with you...it's easy. It feels natural, it feels right. You know things about me that no one else in the world knows. You call me on my bullshit; you tell it like it is. You care about me; the real me – not Nathan Scott, basketball star. You're the only thing in my world that makes sense, Haley. I've never been in love before...but I could see myself falling in love with you. And for once, that doesn't scare the shit out of me. I want to be with you. Only you." Nathan trailed off, uncertainly. He gazed up at Haley, hopefully. _

"_So you really do like me." Haley whispered, astonished._

_Nathan nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I do."_

_Haley exhaled. "Wow." She chewed on her lower lip, as she tried to process everything Nathan had just said to her. He said he sucked at speeches, but the one he just delivered sounded damned good to her. As she stared into Nathan's eyes, Haley decided that now was the time for actions to speak louder than words. She leaned forward and tentatively brushed her lips against Nathan's. A tremor ran through her body; she felt a spark she had never experienced before in her life. It started out slow and sweet, but before long it had deepened to a fiery, passionate kiss. After what seemed like hours, they pulled away from each other, gasping for air._

"_Wow," Haley breathed out. "That was amazing."_

_Nathan nodded in agreement, a goofy smile spreading across his face. "Hell, yeah."_

"_So, we're really doing this? You're my boyfriend...and I'm your –"_

" – _Girlfriend." Nathan finished her sentence, his grin broadening. "Hell, yeah. We're doing this."_

_Haley smiled and threw herself into his arms. She felt safe once again, whole. Like she had just found a part of herself that had been missing for years. Strangely enough, it had been right in front of her all along._

* * *

Tonight, Nathan Scott was in the audience, which in itself wasn't all that unusual. He'd been to dozens of shows over the past three years and was probably one of the band's biggest supporters. But it was the first time he was there as her boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. Haley couldn't help the silly grin that surfaced at the thought, as the band took the stage. She noticed Chris Keller, their lead singer, rolling his eyes at her. She ignored him and glanced over at Jake, who stood beside her, tuning his guitar.

Jake raised his head and gave her a soft smile. "You and Nate, huh?"

Haley nodded, shyly. For some weird reason, she was freaked out about what her friends would think of her and Nathan as a couple. Next to Lucas, Jake was her oldest friend and his opinion really mattered to her.

"About damned time." Jake's smile widened, as he turned towards their drummer, Marvin McFadden. "Mouth, you owe me twenty bucks."

Mouth's jaw dropped open. "They actually got together?"

Jake nodded smugly and Mouth cursed under his breath. "You can pay up after the show, man."

"You guys bet on this?" Haley demanded incredulously.

Jake just shrugged. "We bet on everything. It helps pass the time on road trips."

"Which bet are we collecting on now?" Chase Adams, the bass player, asked curiously.

"Apparently, Haley is dating Nathan Scott." Mouth lamented.

Chase nodded, approvingly. "Sweet. Congrats, Haley. You owe me twenty bucks, Mouth."

Mouth rolled his eyes, as Jake laughed at him. "Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing. I'll win it back when Chris hits on Deb and goes down in flames."

Jake let out a low whistle. "I dunno. I bet she'll be up for it. I think she's pretty hard up – look who she's married to." Chase and Mouth started laughing and Jake high-fived both of them.

Haley shook her head, disgustedly. Sometimes it sucked being the only girl in a band full of boys.

"Hey! In case you idiots haven't noticed, we have a gig to play tonight. Can you wrap up the gabfest, because Chris Keller doesn't want to keep his adoring fans waiting." Chris snapped at them, before turning back towards the crowd.

"What's his problem?" Jake muttered.

Chase leaned over. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's jealous." He glanced at Haley significantly.

"Of me?" Haley asked, surprised. Sure, Chris had asked her to join the band years ago, but he never showed any interest in her outside of music before. Not that it mattered – Chris Keller was _so_ not her type.

"Of you and Nate." Chase corrected her.

"I'm in for twenty that he is jealous." Mouth interjected.

Jake nodded. "Twenty says he's not."

"Oh, he is. Count me in for twenty." Chase agreed.

"Fuck." Haley cursed under her breath as she took her position behind the keyboards. Her gaze fell on a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed basketball player in the crowd. She smiled and gave him a little wave. Her heart skipped a beat when he acknowledged her with a wink. Haley giggled, which earned another glare from Chris. She ignored him as Jake played the opening riffs of their first song and she lost herself in the music, like she always did when she was performing.

* * *

"_And you know you're never sure...but you're sure you could be right; if you held yourself up to the light. And the embers never fade in your city by the lake; the place where you were born. Believe...believe in me...Believe in the resolute urgency of now. If you believe there's not a chance tonight...tonight...so bright...tonight..."  
_

Lucas walked out into the Davis' back yard. After dinner, he insisted on cleaning up the kitchen, so Brooke told him to meet her outside once he was done. He stood on the back porch and stared up the sky, marvelling at the millions of stars in the sky. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he stumbled slightly. Lucas chuckled to himself. He was well on his way to being absolutely pissed – he and Brooke had polished off an entire bottle of wine at dinner – for some reason, this amused him. But where was she? He needed to find her; he needed her to keep his mind off of things he didn't want to think about. He didn't want to brood. Not tonight. Tonight, he wanted to forget.

"Pretty Girl! Where are you hiding?" he called out, his eyes scanning the large back yard for any sign of her. He turned his head to the right, hearing a muffled giggle. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her – he dimly realized that had been happening a lot lately; like every time he laid eyes on Brooke Davis.

She was sitting on a hammock on the opposite side of the swimming pool; a bottle of wine in hand, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. "Like what you see, Broody?" she asked him, laughingly.

Lucas allowed his eyes to travel over her perfect body from her shiny chocolate locks of hair to her bare feet swinging a few inches above the freshly cut grass. "Maybe." He tried to seem nonchalant, but he knew his hungry gaze betrayed him. Her laughter rang out across the yard and he could feel his heart thumping in his chest at that wonderful sound.

Lucas slowly made his way across the yard towards her, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. Her hazel eyes looked dark green in the waning daylight. Even though they were filled with amusement, he realized that she was gazing at him the same way he was staring at her. He stopped abruptly, puzzling over the expression on her face. Yes, he could plainly see desire and lust reflected back at him...Lucas had seen that look directed towards him from many different pairs of female eyes before. But there was something else shimmering beneath the surface; something powerful, something Lucas hadn't seen before. Then again, he hadn't been looking for it. Maybe he just never recognized it for what it was because he didn't want to acknowledge it...

He moved closer until he was standing over her and she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. He reached out and gently cupped her face in his hands. She sighed and closed her eyes. It struck him as soon as her eyes were closed – what that underlying expression was.

Love.

Love?

Lucas swallowed hard, his hands shaking. This girl, this beautiful, amazing girl, could be capable of loving him. She might already love him. He knew he felt something for Brooke; something deeper than he normally would have felt for a girl. But love...love scared him. He didn't know how to love someone...he didn't believe he deserved love from anyone other than his mother. He wasn't so sure he deserved Brooke's love.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open and she smiled at him. "Stop brooding, Broody Boy. We're supposed to be having fun tonight, remember?" Brooke whispered, flashing that infectious, high-voltage smile of hers.

Lucas shrugged and returned her smile. "You're absolutely right." He leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Brooke grabbed a handful of his t-shirt in her left fist and pulled him closer, gently biting his lower lip. Lucas let out a low moan and deepened the kiss. He became immersed in her; her scent, her lips, everything. He wanted more of her.

Without warning, Brooke pulled away from the kiss, leaning back into the hammock. Lucas lost his balance and stumbled forward. People would be surprised, but Lucas Scott was a klutz when he was drunk. Whether he was intoxicated by Brooke, or alcohol or both, it didn't matter. As he went down, he grabbed the edge of the hammock for support and ended up flipping it over, causing Brooke to fall to the ground. Lucas ended up flat on his back, drunkenly staring up at the darkening sky. Brooke lay beside him, laughing so hard her entire body was shaking. Lucas joined in, and they lay together in the damp grass, laughing so hard their stomach muscles began to ache. Eventually, they calmed down and Brooke caught her breath.

"I didn't think you'd be such a lightweight, Broody. You only had like three glasses of wine with dinner."

Lucas furrowed his brow. "No, I only had two; someone else had four." He commented, rolling his eyes.

Brooke giggled and buried her face in his shoulder. "That's even worse! At least I'm not stumbling around the backyard and flipping people out of hammocks!"

Lucas' grin faded. "I've actually had a bit more than wine with dinner." Brooke raised her head from his shoulder and kinked an eyebrow at him. He sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out his flask. "I'm not an alcoholic or anything," he said quickly, seeing a flicker of uncertainty cross her face. "I just...sometimes I need something to numb the pain. Especially after a day like today." He said, softly.

Brooke just lay back down in the grass, gazing up at the sky. Lucas turned his head, watching her. She raised her left wrist and stared at the bracelet she was wearing; the Tiffany's bracelet he'd asked her about earlier.

"My dad gave this to me. He was on a business trip to New York and he saw it and thought of me." Brooke smiled softly. "I was only three years-old when he bought it. My mom couldn't believe he bought something so...extravagant for a small child. She told him he wasn't allowed to give it to me until I was old enough to really appreciate it. So he held on to it for years, waiting for the right time." Brooke fingered the heart-shaped charm, a faraway look in her eyes. "Finally, he gave it to me for my fourteenth birthday. He was so excited, more excited than I was...Probably because he'd been waiting for eleven years to finally see my reaction. Of course, I loved it...I wore it every day." Brooke sighed. "Eventually, I started wearing it less and less. I mean, I still loved it, but I was in a rush to grow up. It seemed kind of babyish to wear a gift from my daddy. I never really thought of how Dad felt about it; I honestly thought he didn't notice. I mean, it's just a bracelet, right? A few months ago, I was home for a visit and Dad made a comment about how I was growing up so fast and how I wasn't his little girl anymore and all that stuff that parents always say. He looked so sad...so, I told him that I'd always be his little girl. And then, he touched my wrist and said 'You don't wear your bracelet anymore.' Then, he walked away. At the time, I thought he was being mushy and overly-sentimental so I didn't think too much of it." Brooke turned and met Lucas' stare, her eyes filled with tears. "They died a couple of weeks later. And I felt so guilty...so the next day, I put it on and haven't taken it off since." A tear trickled down her cheek and Brooke wiped it away, impatiently.

Lucas reached over and took her hand in his. "I'm sure he knows you loved him."

Brooke bit her lip, not trusting herself to speak. She'd already revealed quite enough for one night. She held her hand out and Lucas wordlessly handed her his flask. Brooke took a long swig, coughing slightly as the vodka left a burning trail down her throat. She returned the flask to Lucas and smiled brightly.

"You like swimming?" she asked him.

"Um, yeah, I guess." Lucas squinted up at her, wondering what she was thinking.

"Come on, then." Brooke got up and held her hand out to him.

"I don't have a suit."

Brooke shrugged. "You don't need one, trust me."

"We are not skinny-dipping." Lucas mentally kicked himself for sounding so appalled. He really wanted to see Brooke naked...but not when her fourteen year-old sister was in the house...possibly watching them.

"Who said anything about skinny-dipping, Broody Boy? If you want to see me naked, you're going to have to work for it and I don't think you've worked hard enough yet." She winked at him, smiling seductively.

Lucas' mouth ran dry at the tone in her voice and he took a swig of vodka. "So, what do you want me to do?"

Brooke backed up a few paces and pulled off her top, revealing a red lace demi bra, which covered her ample breasts. Lucas groaned softly and Brooke smirked wickedly at his reaction. She teasingly unbuttoned her skirt and slowly pulled down the zipper. Lucas could only stare at her matching red lace underwear as she slid the skirt down her shapely legs and stepped out of it. She stood in front of him, and Lucas couldn't miss the sultry invitation in her eyes.

Lucas got to his feet and walked towards her. "Your body is magnificent, Pretty Girl." He whispered almost reverently as his eyes roamed her nearly naked body trying to burn every detail into his memory. Then, just below her right hip-bone he saw it. Peeking over the waistband of her panties was a small Chinese character; the tattoo Katie was referring to earlier. He grinned and reached over to touch it. To his surprise, Brooke backed away.

"Uh-uh, Broody Boy. I showed you mine, now it's time for you to show me yours." Brooke said, mischievously.

"Anything for you, babe." Lucas quickly pulled off his t-shirt. Brooke's eyes widened slightly and she bit her lower lip. He smiled knowingly at Brooke's reaction to his sculpted torso. Lucas decided to have a little fun with her, slowly peeling off his jeans, just as leisurely as she had lowered her skirt. He stood in front of her, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs. His smile grew wider, noticing her skin flush at the sight of his obvious arousal. "So...do you like what you see?" he asked her huskily, echoing her earlier question.

"Maybe."

Lucas drew closer to her, and reached out again. He wet his lips as his index finger traced the small tattoo on her hipbone. Brooke gasped and he smirked, seeing her involuntarily shiver at his touch. "You know, I find tattoos sexy...Very, very sexy." He whispered in her ear.

Brooke closed her eyes, feeling his hot breath on her neck. She was trying not to let him know just how much he was affecting her, but her body was betraying her. It was taking all her self-control to not jump up on him and ravish him. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing to her. Damn Lucas Scott. Brooke was used to being in control when it came to the male sex. Usually, she could turn them to jelly with a wink and a smile, ready to do her bidding. Most importantly, her emotions never got the best of her – she got what she wanted and then she detached herself. No fuss, no muss. But, Lucas was hot; too hot for her own damn good.

Brooke opened her eyes and smiled at him seductively. "So you think this is sexy?"

Lucas nodded. "What does it mean? The symbol?"

"I'm not sure. The guy at the tattoo place said it represents fun." She tilted her head to the side. "But I'm sure you know all about that."

"What? Having fun?" Lucas chuckled drily. "I don't remember the last time I really had fun. I've forgotten how."

"Well, I'll just have to help you remember." Brooke turned away and started running towards the pool. She paused at the edge and shot an enticing smile over her shoulder at him before diving into the pool. "Come on, Broody! The water's fantastic!"

Lucas stood at the edge of the pool, watching Brooke as she resurfaced from her dive. The water had soaked through the thin material of her red lace underwear leaving little to the imagination – well...even less than there was before.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all night?"

"What can I say? I'm enjoying the view."

"Trust me, it's better up close."

"Oh, really? I guess I should see for myself." Lucas jumped into the pool and swam over to Brooke. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure she could feel it thumping against her chest. "You're right...the view is much better up close."

"Told you." Brooke teased.

Lucas leaned down and kissed her passionately. She eagerly responded, snaking her arms his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. Lucas moaned against her lips, realizing that her breasts were pressed against him and he could feel her nipples poking him through the thin material. "You don't know what you do to me, Pretty Girl." He mumbled against her lips.

"I have a bit of an idea." Brooke replied in a raspy whisper.

Lucas chuckled and pressed her even closer to him. "You're something else, Brooke Davis."

Brooke smiled before kissing him again. "Less talking, more kissing."

"If you insist..." he replied, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance.

Truthfully, Lucas was happy to obey her every command. If this was Brooke's definition of fun, he had no problem with that. No problem at all.

"_We'll crucify the insincere tonight. We'll make things right; we'll feel it all tonight.  
We'll find a way to offer up the night, tonight. The indescribable moments of your life, tonight. The impossible is possible, tonight."_

* * *

Nathan leaned against the bar, sipping on a beer and waiting for Haley. They were going to head out for a late dinner for their first 'official' date. He smiled to himself – he couldn't wait to spend some more time with his girlfriend. He scanned the bar, hoping Haley would appear soon.

The place was packed with idiots he'd rather not have to deal with...like Tim Smith and Felix Taggaro; former teammates from the Tree Hill Ravens. He saw them across the bar, downing shots with a group of very young girls. He shook his head; obviously, they hadn't changed much in the two years since high school ended. Nathan turned his back, hoping they didn't see him.

"Yo, Nate! I thought that was you, man!"

Nathan suppressed a groan and reluctantly turned around. "Hey, Tim. How's it going?" He offered his hand to Tim for a handshake, but his old buddy decided that a hug would be much more appropriate.

"I missed you, dude!" Tim tightened his grip on Nathan.

"Dude, tone it down!" He hissed, pushing him away.

Tim backed away, holding his hands up. "Sorry, man. I'll be cool...So, what brings you by? I thought you'd be busy partying it up at Duke, seeing you're like the big man on campus up there." The gleam of jealousy in Tim's eyes was unmistakable. Nathan shrugged; it wasn't his fault he got a full ride while Tim got stuck at Tree Hill Community College.

"I stopped by to catch the band's gig. Then, I'm heading out with my girlfriend." Nathan replied, easily.

Tim spat out a mouthful of beer. "_You_ have a _girlfriend_? You're Nathan Scott...why the hell do you want a girlfriend when you can score with any chick you want?"

Nathan took another sip of his beer, bored with the conversation. Where the fuck was Haley? "Times change, Tim. I've changed."

"Right." Tim snorted and rolled his eyes. "So, who is she? Anyone I know?"

"Haley."

"Who?"

"Haley James."

A blank stare was Tim's response.

"Remember? She's friends with Luke, tutored you in calculus senior year, sings in the band that was playing tonight?" Nathan was becoming exasperated.

"Her? Really?" Tim pulled a face and took another sip from his beer.

"Yeah...really."

Tim shrugged and chuckled. "Well, she's hot and stuff, now that she's ditched the stupid cape she used to wear-"

"It was a poncho, Tim."

"Whatever. I don't get it."

"Why?"

"She's not your type. You know – she's a nerd. And kind of a bitch. She's probably a prude so you won't be getting any play. Girls like that are a waste of time." Tim grinned.

Nathan just shook his head. Was Tim always such a douche? "Like you know so much about girls. That's why you can't get laid unless you pour enough booze down a high school chick's throat."

Tim slammed his beer down on the bar, glaring at Nathan contemptuously. "At least I don't think I'm too good for my friends. Have fun doing algebra with your nerd-girl. While you're trying to cop a feel underneath her _poncho_, I'm gonna be getting some hot virgin pussy."

"Whatever, Dim." Nathan muttered as his ex-teammate stalked off into the crowd. He drained the last of his beer and set the empty bottle on the bar. The comments Tim made about Haley had him seething. At the beginning of the summer, Nathan would've beaten the crap out of him for running his mouth off like that. Now things were different...he was different. Those guys were losers and he could give two shits about their opinion of him.

"Whoa, you look like you've been having a great time. What did Dim want?"

Nathan smiled at the sound of Haley's voice. He turned and took her hand in his, drawing her close to him. "I am so glad to see you. I thought you ditched me."

"Nah. Chris wanted to have a band meeting." Haley rolled her eyes in irritation. "He thinks we're all losing focus and we need to work harder or we're not going get our big break, etc." She leaned against Nathan and sighed.

He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "Chris Keller is an idiot. And his pants are way too tight." Haley giggled. "He doesn't know what he's talking about...you guys were awesome tonight."

"Thanks, Nate." Haley smiled up at him, shyly. "You really thought we were good?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't think so." Nathan leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Yes, please!"

Nathan took Haley's hand in his and guided her through the crowded bar. They had made their way across the dance floor and were headed towards the front entrance when Nathan stopped short, causing Haley to bump into him.

"What the fuck?" He exclaimed in a loud voice.

"Nathan? What's going on?" Haley asked, concerned. Nathan just clenched his fists, his eyes darkening with barely suppressed rage. Before Haley could react, he stalked across the room towards a booth tucked away in the far corner of the bar. She stared after him, her eyes widening with alarm as she took in the scene before her.

Tim and Felix were in that booth, but they weren't alone. Felix was making out with a curly-haired blonde. He was practically ramming his tongue down her throat and his hand had sneaked up her shirt. Haley was disgusted realizing that he was fondling the poor girl's breast in front of the entire bar. She was obviously out of it. Haley couldn't imagine anyone hooking up with a slimeball like Felix while sober. She glanced over at Tim who had his arms wrapped tightly around a young brunette. The girl struggled in his grasp, trying to push him away to no avail. She turned her head, trying to avoid a sloppy kiss from Tim's wet lips and Haley caught a glimpse of the girl's terrified face.

"Oh my God. Sam." Haley breathed, quickly following Nathan.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Nathan shouted, as he roughly pulled Peyton out of Felix's arms.

Felix scowled at the intrusion. "Oh, it's you, Scott. My man Tim told me you were slumming it tonight." His arrogant gaze flickered over to Haley and he smiled sickeningly as he looked her up and down. Haley shuddered under his stare; he made her feel like a piece of meat.

Peyton got to her feet and stumbled out of the booth. "Natey!" Peyton exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her older brother. "This is Felix...like the cat."

Nathan extracted himself from his little sister's drunken embrace and passed her over to Haley. "Not now, Peyt." He stepped in front of Haley and Peyton, blocking them from Felix's view. "I asked you a fucking question, Felix. What the fuck are you doing with my sister and her friend?"

"Hey, they came to us." Felix sat back in his seat and smirked.

"They're underage." Nathan shot back.

"Aren't we all?" Felix shrugged. "Stop being so fucking self-righteous. How many high school chicks did you bang after picking them up here?" Nathan reddened Felix's statement. "Besides, they're big girls. They can take care of themselves."

"They're fourteen years-old, you goddamn perv." Nathan laughed harshly. "Fuck, you must be hard up if you're chasing high school freshmen. Can't find any women your own age, Felix?"

Tim's eyes widened and he paled. "Fourteen?" He released his hold on Samantha, who scrambled out of the booth and hugged Haley. "Nate, bud, I'm sorry...they said they were sixteen."

"Shut up, Dim." Nathan barked at him. Tim nodded and shrank away from Nathan's glare. "You losers are so fucking pathetic." Nathan spat out. "If you ever lay a hand on my sister or her friend again, Luke and I will beat the shit out of you. Clear?"

"Crystal." Felix muttered, taking a swig of beer.

"Come on, let's get the hell out of here." Nathan roughly grabbed Peyton by the arm and pulled her towards the entrance, Haley and Sam trailing behind.

"You okay?" Haley asked Sam, softly.

Sam heaved a sigh. "Yeah, now that I'm away from that creepy pervert. But my head is killing me and I feel kind of dizzy." She mumbled, leaning against Haley for support.

Haley put and arm around Sam's shoulders and frowned. "What were you two doing here?"

Sam sighed and rested her head on Haley's shoulder. "It's a long story..." Sam trailed off as they caught up to Nathan and Peyton.

"Why the fuck did you pull me out of there?" Peyton demanded. "I was having a good time."

"You're telling me your idea of a good time is getting so wasted you can barely stand and molested by the biggest asswipe in town in front of the entire bar? If so, then yeah, you looked like you were having blast. This is not the kind of place you and Sam should be hanging out in. If I hadn't found you, who knows what the hell would have happened to you two." Nathan yelled at his sister, hoping to drill some sense into that stubborn head of hers.

Peyton let out a chocked laugh. "Getting pissed and laid seems to work for you and Lucas. Thought I'd try it myself." She let out a harsh sob.

Nathan's tone softened as tears streamed down his little sister's face. "This isn't you. What's going on with you, Peyt?"

"Like you care."

"Peyt, I care."

"No one in our fucking family cares about me. Dad thinks I'm useless, Mom's You're busy with basketball and college and girls and when you do come home, you're too busy fighting with Dad to even acknowledge my existence. And Lucas..." her voice cracked. "I haven't seen him in months...he never calls or writes. He's been home a week and he hasn't come to see me. I feel like I don't exist, like I don't have a family. I might as well be invisible." Peyton whispered. "Maybe I should never have been born."

Nathan gathered his sister in his arms and held her tightly. "Don't say that, Peyton. I do care. I know I suck at showing it, but I do." He looked down at her helplessly. "Things are gonna change, Peyt."

Haley cleared her throat. "We'd better get them home. Sam's about to pass out. It's getting late and Brooke must be frantic."

"No, don't call Brooke..." Sam mumbled, her eyelids fluttering open. "She's got enough to worry about. I don't wanna..."

"Honey, we need to tell her." Haley said, gently.

"Lemme sleep it off...tell her tomorrow...she's happy with Lucas. Don't ruin it." Sam insisted, in a slurred voice, before she dropped her head back onto Haley's shoulder.

Haley and Nathan exchanged a glance. "Lucas?" Nathan asked, puzzled.

Peyton pushed away from her older brother and leaned against his black Mustang. "According to Katie, it'll soon be Brucas." She threw her head back and laughed uproariously.

Nathan heaved an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Let's get these two to the beach house – just in case Dan and Deb decide to come home early." He unlocked his car and helped Haley put Sam in the backseat. He turned to his sister. "Get in, Peyt."

"Nate? I don't feel so good..." Peyton leaned over and vomited all over the ground, just missing Nathan's shoes.

He rolled his eyes and held her hair back as she puked again. "At least you didn't do it in the car."

Haley approached and handed Nathan some tissues from her purse. "Is she okay?"

Nathan shrugged and smiled slightly, remembering the first time he got drunk. He was twelve and had snuck some spiked eggnog at a family Christmas party. The aftermath wasn't pretty. He still became queasy at the thought. "She'll be fine." He handed his sister a tissue.

"I feel like shit, Nate!" Peyton wailed, wiping her mouth.

"And you'll feel worse tomorrow." He commented, helping her to her feet. Peyton groaned as Nathan bundled her into the backseat with Sam. Within seconds, she passed out, snoring lightly.

As they pulled away from the Blue Post, Nathan glanced over at Haley. "This is some first date, huh?" he asked, motioning to the drunken girls in the backseat.

Haley smiled. "Well, it's certainly been eventful."

"I'm sorry. This wasn't how I pictured it." Nathan sighed, regretfully.

"It's okay, Nate." Haley picked up his hand and squeezed it. "As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter what we're doing."

Nathan smiled at her. "You're something else, Haley James. You know that?" He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Haley blushed and returned a shy smile. "So are you, Nathan Scott. So are you."

* * *

"_Believe in me as I believe in you, tonight..."_


	13. New

**So, this chapter's been a long time coming. I'm really sorry! Hopefully, this will make up for it. The Naley-ness was a little excessive last chapter, but I really wanted to set up their relationship because it's gonna move fast and I wanted the foundation set up somewhat realistically. **

**To make it up to you all, I decided to make this chapter Brucas-heavy with lots of sexual tension and such. I wanted to practice writing some scenes that are (ahem) somewhat sexual in nature – I think I suck at it, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. I might be stepping over the line, so be warned – this chapter **_**might**_** need to be rated M. I think it's fairly innocuous, but I can appreciate that people have differing points of view and I definitely do not want to offend anyone. (It's the italicized section right at the start if you want to skip over it.)**

**Thank you so very much for the reviews last time and I hope you all keep reading it and liking it. I'll try to respond this weekend. Let me know what you think, either way.**

* * *

**Chapter 13 – New**

"_My normal hesitation is gone and I really gravitate to your will. Are you here to fetch me out? 'Cause I've never had this taste in my mouth. Oh, you're not old and you're not familiar; recently discovered and I'm learning about you. New, you're so new...You, you're new. And, you're consuming me violently. And your reverence shamelessly tempting me.  
Who sent this maniac? 'Cause I never had this taste in the past." – No Doubt_

_Brooke moaned as Lucas' teeth clamped down on her neck, nipping and sucking on her tender flesh. Instinctively, she arched her back, pressing her chest up against his. She gasped in surprise, realizing that her very wet, very naked breasts were crushed against his hard chest. _

_Where the fuck was her bra? _

_How did he manage to remove it without her noticing? _

_Things were moving a lot faster than she anticipated. Usually, she set the pace; she was the one in control. Not tonight. She had definitely met her match in Lucas Scott. _

_His left hand was tangled in her wet hair, while his right slipped into her underwear and squeezed her ass. They were still in the pool and Brooke was vaguely aware of warm water lapping at the undersides of her breasts. Her legs were still wrapped tightly around Lucas' waist and she could feel his arousal pressing against her inner thigh. She had a feeling Lucas would be the assertive type; but the speed and ease by which he seduced her took her breath away. Sure, the combination of wine and vodka helped dull her inhibitions, but there was something about him that made her hornier than hell. She liked the fact that he was in control. She was more turned on than she had ever been in her life. She wanted him inside her, now. She didn't care that they were in the pool; or that Katie might look out her bedroom window and see them. She squirmed against him, whimpering at the delightful friction their bodies created, hoping to get his attention._

_Lucas just smiled against her neck. "Patience, Pretty Girl...let me play with this sexy body of yours for a little longer," he whispered as he trailed kisses down her neck and past her collarbone. He gently tugged on her hair, tilting her head back so he could have easier access to her breasts. He ducked his head down and took her right nipple into his mouth, teasing, biting and sucking. He squeezed her ass hard and she groaned._

"_Luke, I want you." She panted in his ear._

_He looked up at her, his blue eyes smouldering with lust. "Oh, I want you, too, baby. And when I have you, you'll be screaming for me all night." _

_He pressed her firmly against the wall of the pool and kissed her roughly. Brooke was trapped between the smooth tile wall of the pool and his toned body. His erection was flush against her core, separated only by their soaking wet underwear. She didn't know if she could take it anymore. Their kiss deepened and she tightened her legs around his hips, clawing at his shoulders, hoping to drive him crazy enough to forget the foreplay and just get down to business of fucking her brains out. _

_An insistent ringing sound in the background broke into her consciousness. She frowned, trying to push it to the back of her mind and concentrate on continuing to seduce Lucas...or letting him continue to seduce her. She didn't know what was going on anymore. She just wanted him. _

_No matter what she did, he was content to continue at his leisurely pace, lighting her on fire without taking it any further. And that goddamned ringing just kept getting louder and louder, distracting her. The aching between her legs was becoming too much to handle. She closed her eyes, and leaned against Lucas' shoulder. Her head was beginning to pound from the incessant noise..._

Brooke slowly opened her eyes, blinking. The annoying ringing had stopped, thankfully. She had a nasty headache. She was surprised to find that she wasn't in the pool...in fact, she was perfectly dry. And in Lucas' arms. Brooke blinked a couple of more times to gather her bearings.

They were lying face-to-face on the couch in her father's study, safely tucked under a soft blanket. Brooke was wedged between the back of the couch and Lucas' firm, muscular, _naked_ torso. She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the stiff denim of his jeans against her legs. At least he was partially clothed. She shifted slightly and he tightened his hold on her. Brooke blushed, realizing that except for Lucas' t-shirt, she was completely naked. Obviously, her underwear had disappeared at some point...because his hand was cupping her bare ass! His other arm had snaked up underneath the t-shirt and wrapped around her waist, his hand resting on her hip. Thankfully, they had shut the door. The last thing she wanted was for Katie, Sam or Jeremy to see their older sister in such a compromising position.

'_Oh my god. Did we do what I think we did? No, no...I would remember it if we had. I wasn't that drunk. Well, okay; I was drunk enough to misplace my underwear but not drunk enough to fuck in Dad's office. Besides, his pants are still on. Although that doesn't really mean anything...' _

Brooke closed her eyes for a moment, trying to reign in her wild thoughts. She hadn't had sex in months – if things had gone that far, she would definitely be feeling it this morning. She frowned, struggling to remember what happened last night.

They'd played around in the pool for a while and polished off the vodka in Lucas' flask as well as a second bottle of wine. Then, they stumbled into the library – she wanted to take him upstairs to her room, but he claimed he needed to show her something. In her drunken state, she was a little annoyed to find that he preferred hang out in a room filled with her dad's boring, dusty books rather than in her nice, comfy bed. She just couldn't resist the expression of boyish excitement on his face as he led her into the study. They ended up cuddling on the couch, while he read to her from one of his favourite books – something about snow and discontent. Or was it winter and depression? It was by John...somebody. John Stamos? No, that wasn't right. It didn't matter. She smiled, thinking of how she'd fallen asleep in his arms, his low, soothing voice filling her ears. For the first time in awhile, she felt safe. Happy.

But how long would it last? Lucas had his own problems; problems she had no hope of understanding. It shouldn't be this way – they were forced to grow up much too fast.

She opened her eyes and gazed at Lucas' face. The bruises on his neck and left eye had darkened to a bluish-purple colour, but his lip had healed nicely. Brooke raised her hand and gently ran her fingertip over the bruise surrounding his eye. She had to suppress a giggle as she noticed his furrowed brow – he brooded, even in his sleep. She gently traced the lines on his forehead, trying to smooth them out. He shifted slightly and mumbled something unintelligible before resting his chin on the top of her head.

The t-shirt rode up higher and he began to gently caress her buttocks. Brooke laid still, heart racing, her breathing becoming more ragged as her arousal increased. Her eyes widened as Lucas pulled her even closer to him, squeezing her ass and pressing his pelvis up against hers. Judging by the hard bulge trapped inside the crotch of his jeans, she wasn't the only one who was getting turned on. Lucas began moving his other hand up and down her back, stroking her skin. Brooke involuntarily let out a low moan and Lucas' eyes flew open at the sound. He stared at her blankly, so Brooke smiled at him, trying to put aside the fact that she was practically naked and pressed up against his boner while he groped her ass.

"Hi," she whispered, in a raspy voice.

They stared into each other's eyes for a breathless moment. His were clouded with sleepiness and confusion. Brooke tried to read his expression, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Gradually, the uncertainty cleared from his eyes and slow, lazy smirk appeared on his face once he realized that she was practically naked and at his mercy.

"Morning, Pretty Girl," he whispered in her ear. "I could get used to waking up like this every morning...you in my arms, wearing nothing but my t-shirt." He placed a searing kiss on her lips.

Brooke couldn't help but melt into the kiss. "God, you're so good at that." She gasped, trying to catch her breath when they finally came up for air.

"So I've been told...but you're the first person to call me 'God.'" Lucas smirked, running his fingers up and down her spine. He chuckled softly, seeing her involuntarily shiver at his touch. "I guess I just have that effect on you."

Brooke rolled her eyes and trailed her fingers down his chest towards his stomach. She bit her lip to suppress her giggles as his abdominal muscles tightened at her light touch. "We'll see just who has an effect on who." She whispered teasingly, climbing on top of him.

"Whom." Lucas corrected her, in an amused tone.

Brooke raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head in disbelief. "I'm lying on top of you, practically naked, and the first thing you do is correct my grammar?" she purred in his ear. "I'm disappointed, Broody Boy. I was told that Lucas Scott was a sex god." Brooke gave a small shrug of her shoulders and straddled his hips, thankful that his shirt was long enough to cover her nudity. No matter what happened the night before, she was still determined to make him work for the privilege of seeing her naked. She smiled wickedly, grinding against his hips.

Lucas sucked in a breath, his eyes darkening. "You're playing dirty, Pretty Girl."

"I thought you liked playing dirty." Brooke gently bit his earlobe, loving the fact that she was the one exuding power over him – just as it should be.

Lucas let out a low growl and bit her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark, but not enough to hurt her. Brooke let out a shriek and responded by pressing herself even harder against his erection. Without breaking his lips' hold on her throat, Lucas wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pulled himself into a sitting position, keeping Brooke firmly pressed against him.

"Still think I'm not a sex god?" he whispered against her neck.

Brooke nodded, biting her lip to keep from moaning. She wasn't about to let him know just how much he affected her.

Lucas chuckled. "Liar." He whispered in her ear, slowly lifting up the shirt she wore – his shirt, revealing her toned stomach, bit by bit. "I think I've worked hard enough, Pretty Girl. I want to see your gorgeous body...all of your body."

Brooke let out a low moan and captured his lips with hers. They were so caught up in their heated make-out session, neither of them noticed the door opening.

"B, are you in here? Haley's on the phone for you. She sounds kind of upset – Oh my God, my eyes!"

Brooke snapped her head up to find her brother standing in the doorway, a shocked expression on his face. "Jeremy! Don't you know how to knock?" Brooke hissed at him, her cheek heating up.

Jeremy averted his gaze and stared past the couch. "I, uh, Brooke, you might want to cover up, I can uh, kind of see your butt hanging out and I really didn't want to see that."

"Oh my God." Brooke groaned, wrapping the blanket around her, as Lucas leaned back against the arm of the couch, smirking up at her.

Brooke groaned again, hearing Haley's shout of disbelief over the phone. Jeremy quickly put the receiver back up to his ear.

"Um, yeah." Jeremy's eyes darted around the room, refusing to look at either Brooke or Lucas. "Haley...No, she's not wearing underwear...I don't know why not..." Jeremy blanched as his gaze settled on the desk. He quickly turned away. "Brooke, are those your panties on Dad's desk?"

Brooke jumped up, with a yelp and snatched up her underwear, as another loud exclamation could be heard from Haley. Lucas threw back his head and started laughing. Jeremy stared up at the ceiling, and continued his conversation with Haley as Brooke stepped into her underwear.

"Yes, she's with Lucas...Yeah, that's him laughing...I don't know what he finds so funny. Ask him!...No, I don't know if they've – Haley! Ask her yourself! I've already seen too much for one day! I need to go soak my eyeballs in bleach." Jeremy hastily handed the phone to Brooke, while staring at the ground. "Um...Haley wants to talk to you," he mumbled, unnecessarily, his face reddening more and more by the second. "Yeah, this is awkward...I'm going to go someplace where my half-naked sister isn't straddling Lucas Scott and ramming her tongue down his throat."

Jeremy stumbled from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Brooke exchanged a glance with a still chuckling Lucas and sighed as she put the phone to her ear. "Good morning, Tutor-Girl."

"That's it? Your brother walked in on you and Lucas having sex and all you can say is 'Good morning, Tutor-Girl?'" Haley demanded.

"Haley, we weren't –"

"Is Luke with you?" Haley interrupted impatiently. "I actually called you about something else and it involves him, too."

"Yeah, he's right here. I'll put you on speaker." Lucas shot her a questioning and Brooke shrugged, pressing the speaker phone button.

"Morning, Hales." Lucas greeted his best friend, casually. "Anything exciting happening this fine day?"

Haley sighed in exasperation at Lucas' flippant tone. "I'm not in the mood for pleasantries today, Lucas Eugene Scott."

Brooke covered her mouth to stifle a shriek of laughter. 'Eugene?' she mouthed at Lucas as he rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Kind of gathered that by the way you Eugene'd me. What's going on?"

Haley snorted. "While you and Brooke were frolicking around doing god knows what last night, guess what Nathan and I were doing?"

Lucas sighed. "Haley..."

"We were taking care of two very drunken, very sick fourteen-year-old girls. Peyton was puking constantly and ranting and raving about wanting to see a dick 'right now' while Sam –"

Lucas started laughing. "Peyton actually told you she wanted to see a dick?"

"Wait a minute – Sam didn't come home last night? They were drunk? What happened to the sexy vampires and werewolves?" Brooke interrupted, beginning to panic.

Haley sighed. "No, Brooke, she stayed with us at the beach house. Yes, they were drunk. No, I don't know what happened to the sexy vampires and werewolves. And, yes, Lucas, your baby sister demanded to see a dick repeatedly." Haley sounded exhausted, some of her anger draining away after a long night.

Lucas took the phone from Brooke. "Where'd you find them?"

Haley sighed. "At the Blue Post. With Dim and Felix."

"What?" Lucas demanded, fiercely. He shot a glance at Brooke and turned off the speakerphone, turning his back to her. He had seen the stricken look on her face when she found out Sam hadn't returned home the night before. Lucas knew she would be blaming herself for getting caught up with him...she already felt bad enough. He gripped the phone tightly.

Tim and Felix – he hadn't given them much thought since high school. Those guys were bad news...beyond bad news. He knew how they operated. He and Felix even had a not-so friendly rivalry; they competed to see who could have sex with the most girls. While Lucas relied on his good looks, charm and bad-boy charisma to seduce girls into his bed, Felix used booze and drugs. From what he heard, Felix hadn't changed his game over the years and Tim still tagged along after him, like a loyal puppy. He closed his eyes. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Peyton or Sam.

He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Did they...are they okay?"

"Yeah, they're okay. Nathan found them before...anything happened." Haley replied, softly.

Lucas exhaled, in relief. "Thank god." He mumbled.

Haley cleared her throat. "Luke...it was such a close call. We think Sam might have been drugged. She passed out before we even left the parking lot and I looked up the side-effects of GHB online..."

Lucas' eyes widened and he shot a glance at Brooke, who was staring at him, curiously. He could already see the guilt creeping into her eyes. He sighed. "Okay. We'll be there as soon as we can."

They hung up and Lucas tossed the phone onto the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair and heaved a sigh. "The girls are okay – just hung over. Nate and Haley found them at the Blue Post."

Brooke's jaw dropped. "What the hell were they doing there?"

Sneaking out to seedy bars was not a usual activity for the girls. She sighed. It was all her fault. She should have sent Lucas away and kept the girls at home; she should have reached out to Peyton and made her talk. Or better yet, she should have convinced Lucas to come inside and talk to his sister. Instead, she acted like a careless flighty teenager who shirked her responsibilities to spend time with a guy.

Brooke sighed. "It's not like them..." she murmured. "Why would they do this?"

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. Teenage rebellion, I guess? We'll find out when we get to the beach house." Brooke narrowed her eyes, surprised at how quickly Lucas dismissed the seriousness of the situation. "Look, is there anywhere I can grab a shower? And, I'll need my shirt back."

"Oh, right." Brooke shook her head and walked into the hallway, Lucas following close behind. "There's a bathroom down the hall; third door on the left. There are towels and stuff in the cabinet. I'll run upstairs and see if I can borrow one of Jeremy's shirts."

Lucas caught Brooke by the arm, as she turned towards the staircase. His blue eyes bore intensely into hers. "It's not your fault."

"Wh-what?" Brooke's voice caught in her throat.

"That the girls went out drinking. It's not your fault. You're blaming yourself. Don't."

Brooke nodded, slowly. She was surprised that he could read her so easily. That he could tell exactly what she was thinking.

"And don't worry about getting another shirt for me. I want to wear this one." He pulled her close to him and nestled his head into the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. "You smell so good..."

Brooke laughingly pushed him away. "Stop it. Go get showered and I'll make sure you get your precious shirt back."

"Don't you dare wash it, Pretty Girl." Lucas growled, his eyes sparkling in amusement.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Brooke winked at him, before turning away and starting upstairs.

* * *

An hour later, Lucas and Brooke arrived at the Scott beach house. They stood on the front porch, each lost in their own thoughts. Neither was in a hurry to head inside – between dealing with hung-over teenagers, a tired Nathan and a pissed-off Haley, it promised to be a less than pleasant visit.

Lucas frowned, knowing he was going to be questioned about the bruises from Dan's attack. He was not looking forward to that conversation. And, he couldn't believe that the first time he was going to be seeing Peyton was after she got drunk off her ass at the Blue Post. The morning after hanging around with slimeballs who drugged her best friend...who happened to be his Pretty Girl's little sister. He leaned on the porch railing and gazed at Brooke. She was staring straight ahead, her hazel eyes clouded with worry and guilt. She absently toyed with her bracelet and Lucas grabbed her hand to calm her fidgeting.

Brooke smiled at him, sheepishly. "I guess I really do play with it when I'm nervous, huh?"

Lucas just nodded with a small, smug smirk. He looked up at the house with a frown. "We should go inside."

"I suppose." Brooke heaved a nervous sigh. "I just – I've never had to ground anyone before...I mean, that's what I'll have to do, right? That's what my parents would do if they were here..." Her voice trailed off, uncertainly.

Lucas remained silent, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

Giving his hand a squeeze, she flashed him a tight smile. "Let's go relieve Nate and Hales from babysitting duty."

As Lucas reached for the doorknob, the door swung open to reveal an exhausted, haggard-looking Nathan.

The brothers stared at each other, each shocked by the other's appearance.

"Dude, what happened to your face?" Nathan asked, surprised. "Did you get in a fight?" The last he heard, Lucas had spent the night at Brooke's – a fact Haley was less than impressed with. A wide smirk spread across his face. He always knew Brooke was a feisty one...maybe she liked it rough.

Seeing the smirk on Nathan's face, Brooke punched him on the arm. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Hotshot!"

Nathan's smirk widened, not noticing Lucas' discomfort as he teased Brooke. "Oh, Brookie _does_ like it rough. I knew it."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Natey." She retorted, stalking off towards the kitchen to find Haley. Usually, she enjoyed bantering with Nathan; but today, her patience was in short supply. Inwardly, she cringed, picturing Nathan's reaction once he learned truth behind Lucas' injuries.

"Luke?" Nathan questioned his brother, finally noticing that Lucas had yet to speak to him.

Lucas glanced over at Nathan and then turned away, staring out the living room window at the ocean. "We'll talk later. You, me and Peyton."

Nathan nodded, slowly. "Okay," he replied, in a quiet tone. A thousand thoughts raced through his head, but he knew better than to push. "Peyt's doing better. She was up pretty much all night puking her guts up."

"I heard she was demanding to see male genitalia?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"God, don't remind me." Nathan groaned. "I never thought I'd have to hear those words coming out of my baby sister's mouth!"

Lucas shook his head. "It sounds like you had your hands full. Why didn't you call me?"

"I don't know. Sam said that you and Brooke were hanging out...she didn't want to ruin your night. Brooke never takes time for herself. Hales and I kind of agreed with her." Nathan shrugged. "But, you do owe me. Last night was supposed to be my first official date with Haley."

Lucas stared at his brother in disbelief. "You and Haley are dating? My Haley? Haley James?" He furrowed his brow, glaring at his brother. "When did this happen?"

"It doesn't matter when it happened, Luke. I've never felt this way about anyone before." Nathan crossed his arms, scowling at Lucas. "If you paid a little more attention to the rest of the world, you wouldn't be so shocked."

"Oh, here we go again." Lucas muttered, sarcastically. "You better not fuck around with her. If you do, I'll kick your ass, brother or not."

"I could say the same for you and Brooke. You better not be using her. She's been through enough and she doesn't need you around to screw her life up any more."

Lucas heaved an angry sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's not like that, man," he murmured. "She's different. It scares me...but there's something about her. She makes me believe that I can be better; that I'm worth something."

"That's how I feel about Haley." Nathan responded. "I won't hurt her, Luke."

"And I won't hurt Brooke." Lucas met his brother's eyes and held his gaze.

They were silent for a couple of moments, sizing each other up. This was uncharted territory for the brothers. Sure, they often discussed girls they dated, or fucked around with. But, these conversations were limited to physical attributes, sexual performance and the like. They'd never talked about anyone they actually harboured real feelings for. For once, the stakes were higher; Haley was Lucas' best friend, Brooke was close with both Nathan and Haley. If one of them messed up, there would be serious repercussions.

"So..." Lucas rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "How's Sam doing?"

"Haley told you? About the drugging?" Nathan raised his eyebrows.

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. Did you take her to the hospital?"

"No, she was out, so we just put her to bed and let her sleep it off. We took turns watching her since Hales could only take small doses of drunken Peyton. Sam will be okay." Nathan let out a small chuckle, but his good humour faded quickly. "Our baby sister's fucked-up, Luke."

"Aren't we all? Thanks to Dan." Lucas muttered. He heaved an angry sigh. "Goddamn Dim and Felix. I can't believe those guys still think drugging little girls is a good way to get laid."

"Who was drugged?" Brooke's raspy voice startled Nathan and Lucas. They both turned to find her standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Haley drew up beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Nathan shot a glance at Lucas. "Did you tell her?" he asked, under his breath.

"Tell me what?" Brooke demanded. Her tone was angry, but the others picked up the undercurrent of fear in her trembling voice.

"Um, Brooke, sweetie...don't panic." Haley said, soothingly. "We think Sam _might_ have been slipped some GHB."

"Don't panic? My sister was given a date rape drug and I'm supposed to be calm? Oh my god...what if you guys hadn't found her? I don't even want to think about it..." Brooke collapsed into a nearby armchair and buried her face in her hands.

Haley perched on the arm of the chair. "It's okay, she's safe. She's upstairs sleeping. We watched her all night to make sure she was okay."

"It's my fault. I should have been here – I should have been watching her." Brooke raised her head. "I should have forced them to stay home with me. Peyton stormed out of the house yesterday and I should have stopped her! I should have made her talk to me." Brooke replied bitterly.

"It's not your fault." Lucas stated, quietly.

"I shouldn't have been frolicking. I'm supposed to be the responsible one."

"Frolicking?" Nathan muttered. "Is that what we're calling it, now?"

Lucas glowered at him. "Could you guys give us a minute?"

Haley nodded. "We'll go check on the girls. Come on, Nate." Haley and Nathan left the room.

Lucas crouched down in front of Brooke, taking her hands in his. "Brooke –"

"I should have been keeping them safe at home instead of being glad to send them on their way to look at half-naked werewolves just so I could have time alone with you, Luke." She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm still just empty-headed, silly, flighty Brooke. I guess my parents were right. I'll never grow up."

"You are far from flighty, Brooke. And I would definitely not call you empty-headed." Lucas squinted at her, trying to hide a smile. "You can be silly, at times, but I like it."

Brooke raised her eyes to meet Lucas'. He did it again. He made her feel better, with just a few words and the touch of his hand. "I let them down, Luke. Those girls were supposed to be in my care and I just abandoned them. What if my uncle finds out about this? He'll want to haul them all up to New York and I'll be alone." Brooke sighed and pulled her hands away from Lucas' grasp. "I act like a giddy schoolgirl around you. All sense flies right out the window. You make me feel alive again, like the old Brooke. But the problem is, the old Brooke didn't have to look after her brother and sisters. The old Brooke could afford to be a carefree party girl; getting drunk, messing around with guys, skinny dipping and all that. This one can't._ I_ can't." Brooke made a move to stand up and Lucas got to his feet, pulling her up with him. "There's just too much at stake."

Lucas placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him. "I understand that, Brooke. But, you're allowed to have a night to yourself once in awhile –"

"No, I don't think you understand at all. How can you? You never bother with Peyton. Neither does Nate. How can I expect you to get where I'm coming from when it comes to family?" Her hazel eyes were filled with sadness. "I don't think I can do this...this thing we have going on between us. I don't think I can do us."

"Pretty Girl –"

"No, Luke, you're just making it harder. Maybe we could have made it work in another life – a life where my parents are still alive and I'm free to have fun whenever I want with whoever –"

"Whomever." Lucas broke in.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "So not the point right now, Broody."

"What is the point?" he asked, trying to keep the impatient edge out of his voice.

"Maybe we should just be friends." Brooke whispered softly. There was an awkward silence as her words sank in. "I need to go find Sam." She turned her back on him and left the room, not looking in his direction once.

Lucas stared at her in disbelief as the one girl he could grow to love walked out of the room. Friends? As if they could ever be 'just friends.' He was not going to let her go that easily. He would do whatever he could to prove to her that 'this thing' they had between them was worth it.

"_Why am I so curious? This territory's dangerous. I'll probably end up at the start; I'll be back in line with my broken heart. New, you're so new...You, you're new. And I never had this taste in the past. Don't let it go away; this feeling has got to stay...I can't believe I've had this chance now. Don't let it go away."_

* * *

**True Story:**** Peyton's drunken outbursts are inspired by the first time my baby sister got drunk. My fourteen year-old sister and her friends got absolutely wasted on vodka coolers at some house party one New Year's Eve. My other sister and I had to leave our own 'grown-up' house party to pick her drunken ass up and bring her home. Thank god my parents were away. **

**She ended up rolling around on my brother's bed, repeatedly puking in his garbage can and talking nonsense. She was so drunk, she was practically delirious. She kept yelling out: "I want to see a dick right now!" My other sister and I were like – the hell? But she kept yelling at us about wanting to see some dicks and we just laughed our asses off because she had no idea what she was saying. Plus, it was really funny. We stayed up with her all night, making sure she was okay and nursed her through her hang-over. She has no memory of that night and is convinced that we made it up just to tease her. We still make fun of her for that...good times. Just thought you guys might like to know where that came from, because it seems to pop up kind of randomly...**


	14. Swallowed

**Chapter 14 – Swallowed**

"_I'm with everyone and yet not. I'm with everyone and yet...just wanted to be myself...Swallowed, borrowed; heavy about everything but my love. Swallowed, hollowed; sharp about everyone but yourself. Swallowed, oh, no...I'm with everyone and yet not. I'm with everyone and yet...Piss on self-esteem. Forward, busted knee. sick head, blackened lungs; and I'm a simple, selfish, son." - Bush_

* * *

Lucas inhaled deeply before passing the joint on to his buddy, Junk. The sweet, pungent smoke filled his lungs and relaxed his sore muscles. He was still bruised and aching, not only Dan's beat down the previous day; but also the infinitely pleasurable activities he engaged in with Brooke afterwards.

The smirk slid from his face and his brow creased in a frown.

Brooke.

Not even good old marijuana was potent enough to erase her from his mind. He sighed and shook his head. Why couldn't he just stop thinking about her for one damned night? She didn't want him; she just wanted to be friends. Lucas' scowl deepened. She didn't deserve the energy he was wasting in thinking about her silky hair...her luscious lips...her sparkling eyes...Lucas groaned in frustration and snatched Junk's beer out of his hand and downed half of it, ignoring his friend's angry protests.

"Yo, Luke. I think you better take another hit, dawg. You need to _chill_." Skills' drawled. The young African-American was sprawled out on the adjoining leather sofa, with a beer in one hand, joint in other and a stunning Asian girl nestled into his side. Although a lazy smile graced his features, Lucas could hear the annoyance in his friend's voice. He glanced up, reluctantly meeting his childhood friend's sharp brown eyes.

Lucas wordlessly re-took the offered joint from Skills, rolling his eyes. "Sorry, Junk." He muttered at his other friend, before inhaling once again.

"Whatever, ass." Junk sneered, before stalking off to get another beer.

Skills raised an eyebrow and whispered something in his companion's ear. She got to her feet, tottering uncertainly in her ridiculously high heels. Lucas rolled his eyes, as she gave Skills a sloppy kiss on the cheek. She let out a sharp squeal when Skills gave her a firm smack on the ass. Giggling, she gave both men a saucy wink before stumbling away. Skills' smile faded, as the girl disappeared into the crowd. He turned to Lucas, a rare frown marring his handsome face.

"Congrats, Luke. You sure know how to act like a dick. Now that you've run Fergie, Mouth, Jimmy, Glenda and Junk off AND made me get rid of Amy, wanna tell me what the hell's going on?" His eyes flickered briefly to the bruises colouring Lucas' face and neck.

Luke held his breath, savouring the sensation of the acrid smoke filling his lungs before slowly exhaling. He smirked at Skills though heavily lidded eyes. "Nope."

"People are only gonna put up with your bullshit for so long, y'know." Skills stated, matter-of-factly. Even though his lips were stretched in an easygoing smile, Lucas could see that his old friend was losing his patience.

He met Skills' penetrating stare and clenched his jaw slightly. There was a time when he might have confided in his old friend; back in the days when they used to hang on the rivercourt. But as Dan and basketball gradually took over his entire fucking life, they'd drifted apart. At this point, they were practically strangers. Lucas was tempted to tell Skills to fuck off. But, if he wanted a steady supply of weed for the night, it was best to keep his mouth shut and not piss Skills off any further.

After a few moments of tense silence, Skills shrugged and shook his head. "That hit the spot?" he asked, casually, plucking the joint from Lucas' loosened grasp. The tension between the two men eased up slightly and they both relaxed as the drug did its work.

Lucas sighed contentedly as the familiar anaesthetic numbness washed over his limbs and quieted his brain. Disconnected him from his pain. Finally. "More than you know, old buddy, more than you know." He murmured.

He leaned back in his seat - Dan's favourite chair, ironically enough, and watched Skills suck on the joint. He sipped at his beer, allowing his mind to drift. The two friends sat in silence, as the party flowed around them. Junk never did return, but neither of them really noticed. They sat, not really thinking much about anything; just drinking and smoking up until the blunt was exhausted.

"Day-um!" Skills exclaimed some time later, breaking the silence. "That is one hot bitch. Maybe hitting that up will put you in a better mood."

Lucas raised his head and looked in the direction Skills indicated. A curvy blonde stood by the fireplace, gazing at him with a flirty smile on her lips and a seductive gleam in her eye. She was pretty in a generic way. Bleached blonde hair, fake tan, too-white teeth, tight tank top and cut-offs. He'd seen and bedded a million girls like her before.

"She'll do." He smirked at Skills, who chuckled and gave him a fist bump before leaving the room in search of his Asian hottie.

Lucas arched an eyebrow at the blonde and acknowledged her with a slight nod. She smiled and set her drink down on the mantle before strutting over towards Lucas with an exaggerated sway of her hips. She seemed really young. He wondered if she was even out of high school, yet. But did that really matter? If she was willing, he was able...

"Hi, I'm Ashley Jenkins," she introduced herself breathlessly, standing before him. "You're Lucas Scott."

He rolled his eyes and mentally scoffed at her. _That's her line – to tell me my name? Man, she's not very bright. But that's okay...she'll serve her purpose. The dumb ones are easier to get rid of. _Lucas smiled and pulled her into his lap trailing his fingers up her thigh. "That's right, I _am_ THE Lucas Scott."

She giggled and ducked her head. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm sure you have." Lucas brought his lips close to her ear, smirking as he noticed her involuntary shiver. "Let me just clear one thing up for you; everything you've heard is 100% true."

She gasped, her eyes widening at his blunt statement. Before she could react, Lucas gripped the back of her neck and pulled her towards him, smothering her lips with a searing kiss. She responded eagerly, parting her lips and gently tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth.

As soon as his lips touched hers, images of a brunette with sparkling hazel eyes flooded his mind. It was all wrong – the lips, her scent, her taste. She wasn't Brooke; not even close.

"Shit." Lucas whispered, pulling away from the kiss. He released his hold on the girl in his lap and leaned his head back with a frustrated groan. "I think you should go." He grumbled; picking up the beer he'd discarded at the beginning of this ill-advised make-out session.

Ashley stared at him, uncertainly. "Is there something wrong, Lucas?" She whispered huskily, rubbing circles on his chest.

Lucas raised his head and grabbed her wrist, effectively halting her lame attempt at feeling him up. "Yes, there is something wrong – the fact you are still sitting in my lap when I told you to leave." Her glared at her coldly. "Obviously, you don't listen very well, so we'll try this again. Get the hell off my lap. Now."

Tears welled up in the young girl's eyes and she wrenched her wrist out of his grasp, scrambling to her feet. "You're such an asshole." She hissed, rubbing her wrist.

Lucas smirked. "I told you that everything you heard about me was true and you still chose to wrap yourself around me like a good little whore." He made a shooing motion with his hand, ignoring her outraged gasp. "Now, move along. I'm sure you can find someone else to fuck. God knows there enough pathetic chumps around here who'll buy the shit you're selling."

The blonde let out a choked sob before turning and running out of the room. Lucas finished his beer and stood up. He stretched, disregarding the stares he was receiving from the other people gathered in the room. _Whatever._ He was Lucas Scott – he could do whatever he wanted...except get Brooke to give him a chance. He frowned. He needed more alcohol. Or weed. Something, anything. Just no more sluts.

Walking towards the kitchen, he caught his name in whispered conversations.

"-such a jerk."

"That's guy's a douche."

"-completely humiliated that poor girl."

"What an asshole."

"Karen has no clue what an ass her son is."

"Just like his father."

Lucas pretended he didn't hear their comments; comments that echoed Nathan's words earlier in the week. He was _not_ Dan. He would _never_ be Dan. His temper rose with every step he took towards the kitchen. Who gave a shit what they thought? They got a free show out of it; hell, a year ago, they would have been slapping him on the back for exposing that sorry tease. Sanctimonious hypocrites.

"This party fucking sucks!" Lucas spat angrily, as he charged through the swinging door into the kitchen. The door slammed against the wall, effectively silencing the dozen or so people gathered in the kitchen. He yanked open the refrigerator door and pulled out a fresh bottle of beer. Muttering nonsensical curses under his breath, he twisted off the bottle cap and threw it to the side, taking a long drink.

_Fuck this. Fuck Nathan. Fuck Dan. Fuck_ her.

Lucas leaned against the open door of the refrigerator and closed his eyes. He took another couple of pulls from the beer bottle, emptying it in record time.

Someone cleared their throat and Lucas jerked his head up. For the first time, he realized that the room was completely silent and a number of people were now staring at him. Most of the gazes trained upon him were wary, others were puzzled and some were amused. He narrowed his eyes and stared them all down.

"What the fuck do y'all think you're looking at?" he growled, menacingly. He slammed the door of the refrigerator shut and stalked out of the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels off the counter on his way out. He could hear the hushed voices of the party-goers who'd witnessed his outburst following him down the hallway. Lucas tightly gripped the bottle in his hand and made his way through the packed family room, nodding to shouted greetings and giving out a couple of fist bumps. Finally, he made it to the open patio doors and slipped out onto the back deck.

The deck and pool area was even more crowded than inside the house. Finding no seats available, he swung his leg over the railing of the deck and hoisted himself up so he was straddling the railing. He cracked open his bottle of whiskey, relishing the familiar burning feeling as he swallowed.

"So I heard you made quite the scene in the kitchen, Lukie."

Lucas glanced up and smirked at the tall redhead leaning on the railing beside him. "It wasn't _that_ big of a scene, Rach. I just expressed my opinion on the suckfest this party's turning out to be. Not my fault people can't handle the truth." He shrugged. "Want some JD?"

Rachel took the bottle and brought it to her lips, taking a generous drink. "Suckfest? This is actually one of your better ones – tons of eye candy, lots of booze and a nice selection of recreational drugs."

Lucas snorted. "Sure, Rach. Sex, drugs and rock n' roll, right? That's all that matters to you. All flash, no substance."

"Who the fuck pissed in your corn flakes?" Rachel snapped back.

Lucas sighed and bowed his head. "I'm just sick of this...this whole...this!" He waved his arm at the people partying below them. "I want something more. I thought I'd found it, but..." he trailed off, squinting at the ground below.

"Hmm." Rachel. She looked him up and down, appraising him. Lucas squirmed as her cool gaze lingered on his bruises. She sipped thoughtfully from the bottle of whiskey, slapping his hand as he tried to grab it away from her. Unluckily for him, his reflexes were much duller than the cheerleader's.

After a long silence, Rachel finally spoke, her brown eyes glittering in the darkness. "You are _so_ the male version of me." She stated, ignoring Lucas' snort of disbelief. "You love being the centre of attention and you're cocky as hell. Because you're good looking and popular, not to mention filthy rich, you get what you want when you want it, no matter what. But, with all of that comes pressure from all directions. Your parents don't give a shit what you do, but they still push you to succeed so they can have something to brag about at those tedious country club get-togethers. It hurts, but you still want their approval, so you do what you can to deal. You get wasted as often as you can to numb the pain. You act like an asshole so you don't have to let anyone in because they'll just turn on you and hurt you, too." Rachel paused, taking another swig of whiskey before continuing. "And I'm not just talking emotional hurt," her voice softened and Lucas swore he could see tears in her eyes. "Your parents even use you as a punching bag because they can't deal with the fact that you will probably succeed where they failed." Her voice cracked and Rachel looked away, blinking furiously.

"Rach-" Lucas whispered, astonished that the cheer captain understood far more than he had ever given her credit for.

"No, Luke, not now." Rachel held up her hand and let out a long, shaky breath. "But just because your biological family – excepting Karen, of course – sucks ass, you've still managed to cobble together a new family full of people who care about you, no matter how big of a jerk you are. But that's because they see something in you that makes it worth it; which means that other people are bound to see it, too." She lowered her voice and moved closer. "Brooke sees it. I don't know what kind of spell you've put on her, but she cares about you more than she should."

Lucas stared at Rachel with widened eyes, still processing everything she had revealed to him over the past few minutes. Frankly, he had no idea that Rachel was this perceptive. He had known her for over twelve years and had never seen this side of her. He felt sorry for writing her off as a superficial party girl. Lucas draped his arm around her shoulders and drew her into an awkward one-armed hug.

Rachel let out a sigh. "I just wish that someone would look past all of the bullshit and see the real me; like Brooke sees something in you. Sometimes, I get so tired of keeping up this act."

"Well, you're wrong. Brooke doesn't want me; she only wants to be friends." Lucas took the whiskey from Rachel and took a drink.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm never wrong. You should know that by now. Besides, Haley told me about your 'date' last night. She really likes you, unfortunately for her. But she's scared."

Lucas chuckled humourlessly. "And you think I'm not? Damn it, Rach, I can't get her out of my head. That's never happened to me before. It's kind of crazy, how fast it's happened...but it's right – so goddamned right. I need her." His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then, tell her that you'll be there for her. That you're all in. That you understand her fears and her need to look after her family. They're all she's got, Luke. You have to reassure her that you won't flake out on her. You know, fuck her and forget her like all the others." Rachel replied, with a hard stare.

They were silent for a moment, as Lucas mulled over Rachel's words. "You're absolutely right." He murmured, quietly. "But don't start gloating, yet." He smirked, recalling a conversation he had earlier in the week with Haley and Jake. A conversation that Rachel might find interesting.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Why not? I finally got Lucas Scott to admit that I was right about something."

Lucas let out a low chuckle bordering on an evil cackle. "But, you're wrong about thinking no one sees the real you. And I know for a fact that someone _likes_ you and you have no clue."

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "God, Lucas, you must be totally wasted. You're talking nonsense and cackling, now."

"Maybe I am, but I know what I heard and I know what I know, which you don't know." Lucas suddenly leaned towards Rachel, nearly tumbling face-first off the railing. Luckily, Rachel gripped his arm and pulled him upright. _I must be absolutely shit-faced,_ he thought eloquently. He burst out laughing and slapped Rachel on the shoulder.

"I can't deal with you when you're in this state." Rachel snapped. "Where the hell is Jake? He'll put you to bed."

"Exactly. Exactly!" Lucas exclaimed. "Where _is_ Jake? That's the question you should be asking."

"What the hell have you been smoking, Luke? Seriously." She placed a hand on his forehead and even in his intoxicated state, Lucas could see the concerned expression on her face.

"It's Jake." He replied, simply. "Jake is the one who sees you. He _likes_ you. Like _likes _you, if you know what I mean."

Rachel took a step backwards and snatched the bottle of whiskey from his hand. "What do you mean?"

"Jake. Likes. You." Lucas repeated, slowly.

Rachel shook her head. "No, he likes Haley. He flirts with her all the freaking time."

"No, Haley likes Nathan. Jake only pretended to like her to make you jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?"

"Well, after you guys slept together last year-"

Rachel cut him off. "Hold on. Stop right there. I've never slept with Jake. Trust me, I would remember. And how on earth would you know who I slept with, anyway? You weren't even here!"

"Apparently you guys hooked up at some party, but you were too drunk to remember."

"Who told you this?"

"Haley and Jake. And I think Nathan might know about it, too." Lucas took the whiskey back from Rachel, who was too stunned to notice.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." The colour drained from Rachel's face. "That stupid frat party. It was him...shit." She whispered. "But he never said a word to me...and he wasn't there when I woke up. The jerk! He left before I woke up! I can't believe him." Rachel looked up at him in alarm. "I'm freaking out, Luke. What do I do?"

"I dunno." Lucas shrugged. "Do you like him?"

"Why the fuck do I feel like I'm in junior high, again?" Rachel mumbled. "I don't know. I've never really considered it before. It's Jake. He's my friend...or at least he was until he slept with me and didn't bother to tell me!"

Lucas let out a loud guffaw. "Rach, do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?" He shrank away from the redhead's lethal glare and took another drink. "You know, it seems to me that you like him."

"Shut up, Lucas." Rachel snapped.

"The first step is to admit it." Lucas nodded in what he hoped was a sage manner. The whiskey was finally hitting him hard and he was having a hard time focusing on her.

"God, you're a pain in the ass when you're drunk." Rachel huffed, angrily. "I need to find him. I haven't seen him in at least a couple of hours...How could I not remember sleeping with one of my best friends?"

"Get him to hypnotize you. Maybe it'll help you remember."

"You are shit-faced aren't you?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

She shook her head and smiled, slightly. "Just don't fall off the balcony, dumbass."

"Can't make any promises." Lucas grinned. "Good luck with loverboy."

Rachel rolled her eyes in response and walked away, shaking her head.

Lucas sighed, in satisfaction. "My work here is done."

* * *

Peyton Scott heaved a frustrated sigh and threw down the remote control. There was absolutely nothing on TV. She picked up a pencil, twirling it absentmindedly through her fingers as she considered her current situation. Peyton was currently ensconced in her parents' bedroom at the beach house while the party of the century raged on downstairs.

No phone. No laptop. No iPod. No cigarettes. Thank god she had her sketchpad, or else she would have been driven off the deep end hours ago. A low groan and a high-pitched squeal filtered in from the next room. _Her_ bedroom.

"Ah, fuck, yeah!" A male voice gasped out. Peyton cringed and covered her ears.

"Oh god, fuck me hard!" A female voice exclaimed.

Peyton dropped her pencil and buried her head underneath a pillow. "Not again!" she moaned, as various noises including groans, moans and squeaking mattress springs filled her ears.

Her life officially sucked.

She seethed, cursing her older brothers. They'd certainly come up with an effective punishment for her night of debauchery, although the result was completely unintentional. Peyton smirked. Nathan didn't want to lose cool points by cancelling the party and Luke wanted to get wasted.

So, the solution was obvious: force Peyton to hide out in the master bedroom, with a TV for entertainment while a couple hundred of their closest friends got drunk, smoked up and fucked in her bed while listening to horrible dance-pop R&B crap.

Absolute fucking torture. They probably thought they were going easy on her.

Peyton tentatively lifted the pillow and breathed a sigh of relief at the blessed silence coming from the direction of her room. That's it. She wanted a cigarette and she wanted it now, goddamn it. She got up and wandered over to the window to see if she could catch sight of her brothers. Nathan was nowhere to be found. But, she could make out Lucas walking towards the dock. Well, he wasn't walking so much as drunkenly stumbling. This was good; he wouldn't care if she made a break for it. Peyton smirked. She could bum a smoke off of him while he was in this state and he wouldn't even remember the next day. Sometimes, being easily forgotten could be a good thing.

Peyton scanned the writing bodies dancing on the beach, looking for Nathan. He was nowhere to be seen. What if it was Nathan in her bedroom? Eww! Or worse, what if he was with that bitch Rachel? They used to be fuck buddies. She'd accidently walked in on them going at it on her parents' kitchen floor late one night and it had scarred her eleven-year-old self for life. Peyton retched at the thought. Who knows what STDs could be lurking in her sheets? Peyton shuddered and made a mental note to burn her bedding the next time there was a bonfire.

But then again, he seemed pretty serious about Haley James, Luke's friend. Peyton pursed her lips. What other girl would have stayed all night helping him look after her? As far as she knew, Nathan and Haley had never been especially close. She could picture Haley helping out Lucas in babysitting; not Nathan. The old Nathan would have left Peyton in a puddle of her own vomit and spent hours trading barbed insults with Haley until he got bored and left to find the next party or his next lay. Leaving Haley to clean up the mess, of course.

Keeping her eyes peeled for her dark-haired older brother, Peyton pondered the change which had gradually overcome him as she gazed out the window. He was becoming more responsible and judging by his recent actions, he was actually interested in Peyton's welfare. He even cared enough to come up with a half-assed punishment. And he'd stayed up with her and held her hair back while she puked her guts up. Peyton frowned, thoughtfully. She wasn't sure what to make of this change. It just seemed strange to her. Why did they care now? Where were they five years ago? Or even one year ago? Who gave them the right to tell her what to do? Like _they_ were such wonderful role models.

She glared down at the party-goers frolicking in her backyard. It wasn't fucking fair. It was times like these when she missed Mrs. Davis – Victoria, Peyton mentally corrected herself, smiling slightly. Of all the times she was dumped on the Davis' doorstep, not once was she made to feel unwelcome. Even though she had five kids of her own, Victoria always had time to listen. In the course of one year, Victoria Davis knew more about Peyton's activities and interests than her own parents did. How pitiful was that? Peyton shook her head and turned away from the window. Perhaps, it was best not to think about such things. It was just too depressing.

Nathan was still MIA. She could probably make it down to the dock without too much trouble. Maybe she would get lucky and sneak some beer from of the cooler she spotted on the patio...Peyton's stomach lurched, nausea turning her stomach at the mere thought of alcohol. She shuddered, remembering innumerable times she'd puked over the last twenty-four hours. Maybe she'd lay off for tonight...or for the next seven years.

* * *

Lucas sat at the end of the dock, staring out into the darkness. He heaved a sigh and leaned back on his elbows. They were really bright tonight, like diamonds spilling across black velvet. He lifted the bottle of whiskey to his lips and noted that it was nearly empty. His eyes widened slightly, as the fact registered. He couldn't have left Rachel that long ago...The party seemed to still be going strong. He absently tapped his fingers against the bottle in time to the current track the DJ was spinning.

"Party rock is in the house tonight...everybody just have a good time...we gonna make you lose your mind...everybody just have a good time..." Lucas tunelessly murmured to himself. "I fucking _tried_ to lose my mind and have a good time..." His three sure-fire pain relievers – booze, drugs and women – had failed him.

He sighed again and tilted his head back for another drink. He winced slightly as his neck protested at the awkward motion. Goddamn Dan. The asshole was even interfering with his drinking. Lucas snorted and leaned all the way back, until he was lying flat on his back, his legs swinging back and forth over the end of the dock. He gazed up at the star-filled sky. They were really bright tonight, like diamonds spilling across black velvet...just like the night he met Brooke.

Why wouldn't she get the fuck out of his head? He'd been thinking about her ever since that night back in June. At first, his thoughts only drifted in her direction when he remembered his last night in Tree Hill, or when he caught sight of a pretty brunette. He wondered about her, was curious about her; but he still was able to kiss and fuck other girls without any trouble. But once he caught sight of her in his Psych class last week...it all changed. She began to consume him, setting off a fire within him that he'd never felt before. Something inside of him was driving him to her and it freaked him out. And for a brief moment, she was his and he was hers and for the first time in a very long time he felt...complete.

Lucas let out a frustrated groan and rubbed his face.

"Problems?" A female voice drawled from somewhere above his head. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but he could make out unruly locks of blonde hair.

Lucas raised his head, squinting into the darkness. "Who's there? Better not be that slut I was groping in the den earlier...I told you to get the fuck away from me." He slurred, while struggling to get a better look at the interloper on his private pity party. Without warning, he felt a sharp slap on the back of his skull. "What the fuck?" he howled.

The girl let out a peal of disbelieving laughter and sat down beside him. "It's me, you drunken idiot. Your sister."

Lucas shook his head, as his younger sister's face snapped into focus. "Peyton?"

"Yes, Peyton. Glad to see you haven't completely destroyed all of your brain cells, yet." Peyton wrinkled her nose. "Although I can't blame you for trying, judging by the number of idiots you and Nate like to party with."

Lucas let out a dry chuckle. "Says Felix's Taggaro's new drinking buddy." He smirked, as he drew a cigarette from the pack resting beside him and lit it.

Peyton ducked her head, hiding her reddened cheeks. "Shut up. Like you've never done anything you've regretted."

"Yeah, but this isn't about me." Lucas took another drag from his cigarette and decided to change the subject. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Can I have one?" Peyton gestured to his cigarette.

"Peyton, you shouldn't be smoking; you're too young."

"Lucas, you shouldn't be smoking; you're a star athlete."

Lucas rolled his eyes and tossed the pack into her lap. "Smartass. You never answered my question."

Peyton snorted and lit her cigarette. "I was going out of my mind in that room. There's nothing on TV and I could hear random people fucking in my room."

Lucas burst out laughing.

"It's not funny, Luke! I'm going to have to fumigate." Peyton whined.

"Well, I hope you've learned your lesson: Never go out partying at sleazy bars with local slimeballs."

"What kind of lesson is this? You guys are punishing me for last night by trapping me in a house party where there's plenty of sleazy people engaging in illegal and debaucherous activities?"

Lucas shrugged and tossed his cigarette butt into the water. "When you put it that way, it does seem a little ridiculous. Maybe we should defer to Dan and Deb. I'm sure they could think of a more effective punishment."

Peyton paled, imagining Dan's reaction to her antics. While he turned a blind eye to Lucas and Nathan's shenanigans, he would not be so forgiving of her indiscretions. "No need to bother them over this silly little incident..."

"Maybe you've learned something after all." Lucas smirked.

"That's bullshit." Peyton spat, angrily.

"What d'ya mean? Lucas drawled, lazily.

"You and Nate don't give a shit about me, never have, never will. Stop pretending that my so-called punishment was designed for my welfare – it was meant to benefit you and Nate and your precious popularity."

"It's not like that, Peyt."

"It totally is like that, Luke. If Sam and I hadn't gotten caught, you would've just shipped me off to her place for the weekend. But since Nate did catch us and there's no way Brooke was going to allow me to sleep-over – because that would hardly be a punishment – you guys were stuck with me. If you cared at all, you'd have sacrificed one freaking party to watch over me." Peyton shook her head, her riotous blonde curls hiding the hurt in her expression from Lucas' penetrating stare. "You don't care."

Lucas closed his eyes and leaned back on his elbows once again. "You're my baby sister. Of course I fucking care!"

Peyton snorted. "Right. That's why I got so many emails and phone calls from you this summer. Because you care so much about your baby sister." She replied, sarcastically.

"Peyt-"

"I mean, it's not like you were home for over a week without bothering to get in touch with me or anything. It's not like my best friend and her family got to see you and talk to you before I did." Peyton's voice cracked slightly. "I bet if I hadn't gotten wasted last night, I still wouldn't have heard from you."

There was a heavy silence as the half-siblings sat side-by-side and stared into the darkness. Peyton discarded her cigarette and wiped at her eyes impatiently, trying to reign in her emotions and hide them from her brother.

Lucas sat up and took another drink. He had no idea he'd hurt her so badly. The truth was, he never really thought about Peyton all that often. He wasn't lying when he said he cared; he just didn't realize that his absence this summer bothered her. It wasn't like they were particularly close; not anymore. He heaved a sigh and turned to face her.

"I'm sorry." Lucas narrowed his eyes and rubbed at his neck. "I do care about you, Peyt. I mean, you're my sister and we've got the most fucked up family. You, me and Nate – we need to stick together."

Peyton just nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the water below her feet. She wasn't sure how to respond to Lucas' apology. Was he sincere? She had her doubts. They fell silent once more, the sounds of the party floating over the crashing of the waves against the shore.

"Peyt?"

"Yeah?"

"You'd tell me or Nate if Dan stepped over the line, right?" Catching sight of Peyton's puzzled expression, Lucas sighed. He struggled to find the right words. He was in no condition to broach the subject right now; he probably wouldn't even remember this conversation in the morning. But he couldn't let the opportunity slip out of his grasp. He needed to know that Peyton was still safe – at least physically. She was obviously suffering in other ways; and he couldn't help her there. He was too fucked up, himself. He took a breath and exhaled slowly, feeling as if he was going to be erasing the last vestiges of his sister's childhood with his next words. "If he ever...you know...got physical...hurt you...you would tell us, right?"

Peyton frowned, staring into her brother's eyes. Not for the first time this evening, she took note of the bruises on his face and neck. He told her, Nathan and Haley that he'd gotten into a fistfight at a bar in Raleigh...but that wasn't true. He was with Brooke last night.

The bruises had to come from somewhere. And there was no way Brooke could have inflicted that kind of damage on her brother...the pieces began clicking into place.

Peyton's eyes widened with the realization; Dan did this to Luke. She carefully reached over and took her brother's hand. "He barely notices I'm alive," she began, softly. "And when he does take notice, he attacks me with words. But to answer your question; no. He hasn't laid a hand on me. Yet."

Lucas let out a shuddering breath, squeezing her hand tightly before breaking off contact. "Good...that's good, Peyt." He mumbled, taking another swig of whiskey. "You're too young for this shit."

Peyton studied her brother's profile as he swayed drunkenly, trying to light another cigarette. When he tilted his head to capture the tip of his cigarette within the flame of his lighter, she caught sight of the bruising on his neck. Peyton drew in a sharp breath and looked away. A handprint. She glanced at Lucas' neck once again and shivered. Seeing him looking so vulnerable scared her. At the same time, she felt like she was finally getting a look at the real Luke; the real person hidden underneath the swagger and cocksure attitude.

Part of her wanted to envelop him in a hug, but a bigger part of her shied away from that impulse. Her family had not been physically demonstrative for as long as she could remember. Dan and Deb were not affectionate parents; quite the opposite in fact. Dan did not believe in coddling children with hugs and kisses. He thought it bred weakness. That's why he thought so little of Peyton – she was a weak girl who'd been ruined by her mother's attentions as an infant. Which was totally fucked up; but that's all she knew.

Until she became friends with Sam and Katie, Peyton assumed that all families were like hers. Emotionally distant and closed off from each other – she was relieved, yet dismayed to find that it was just her family. Of course, she cared for her mother and brothers; she just didn't know how to show it.

As these thought raced through her mind, Peyton observed her intoxicated older brother. When would she ever find Lucas so uninhibited again? She finally had the chance to ask him questions and demand answers. At this point, he was too drunk to lie or even walk away from her. And best of all, it was unlikely he would remember anything in the morning.

"Luke? Would you tell me or Nate if Dan stepped over the line with you?" Peyton asked, tentatively, wary of provoking her brother's infamous temper. "You weren't in a bar fight, like you told me and Nate, were you?" Her voice dropped, as she locked eyes with her brother. She was taken aback to see tears shimmering in his eyes. "It was Dan. He did this to you."

Lucas just held her gaze, a number of emotions – most of which she couldn't name - flickered across his face. Inwardly, Peyton steeled herself against the explosion that was sure to erupt.

Instead, Lucas' shoulders slumped forward and he dropped his gaze. "Yeah, Dan did this to me." He replied hoarsely, before turning away from her and sucking on his cigarette like his life depended on it.

Peyton let out a shuddering breath and clambered to her brother's side. This time, she needed no thought as she threw her arms around his neck drawing him into a comforting hug. Lucas tensed up at first, surprised by the spontaneous show of affection. He quickly relaxed and rested his cheek against her curly head.

"I'm so sorry, Lukie." Peyton whispered, softly.

And with those four words, Lucas came undone. For the second time in two days, he broke down sobbing.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I am still alive. I know it's been too long. I can't believe time has slipped away from me so quickly. I was diagnosed with clinical depression awhile ago and it's been challenging maintaining a balance over the past months. Some days, I went through an epic struggle just to get out of bed and get dressed, never mind writing! My stories were never very far from my thoughts even if I just couldn't find it in me to get it down on paper. So, I am feeling better, thanks to visiting with family and friends and travelling. The meds seem to be okay for now and I think I can get back to updating my stories with some regularity.**

**Anyway, it's taken me 5 looong months to write this chapter. I was feeling very uninspired and unsure about where I wanted this story to go. I now see it as a three or four-parter and the first part will be wrapping up in the next two or three chappies. I think it'll be ultimately be less of a Brucas story and more of a story about love, family, relationships and life in general.**

**Thanks to everyone who PM'd or wrote reviews on my other stories during my absence. Even though I may not have replied, I did appreciate them (more than you'll know). They motivated me to get this mo-fo written.**


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